The General Assembly
Celebrating past achievements in promoting sustainable and responsible timber production;
Aware that the majority of nations, being outside the World Assembly, are not bound by its rules;
Concerned that purchasers in member nations are therefore buying cheaper timber and timber products from countries outside the World Assembly, to the detriment of their local forestry industry;
Aware that the environmental consequences of poor forestry management are not contained by national borders;
Resolute in its desire to protect jobs and increase prosperity within member nations;
Wishing, by means of trade, to encourage all nations to adopt higher environmental standards in timber production;
Hereby
Prohibits member nations from importing from any source timber, or products made from timber, produced in a way not compliant with World Assembly legislation;
Tasks the World Assembly Forest Commission (WAFC) with assisting member nations to comply with this prohibition by
(a) inspecting timber production in any nation, when invited by the producers and with whatever governmental approval may be necessary, and certifying it as a WAFC approved source if it satisfies all the requirements of World Assembly environmental legislation in force at that time.
(b) inspecting the manufacture of products using timber in any nation, when invited by the manufacturers and with whatever governmental approval may be necessary, and certifying them as WAFC approved products if the timber used is from WAFC approved sources.
