Localização
Fern (also Stichting Fern) is a Dutch foundation created in 1995. It is an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) set up to keep track of the European Union's involvement in forests and to coordinate NGO activities at the European level. Through its work, Fern aims to increase the political and economic opportunities for people to create a more balanced society in which human rights are fully respected and environmental and social values are fully integrated.
Although Fern is known for its work on forests, since 2000 Fern has widened its scope beyond forests to also include work on general aid, trade and climate issues, as many of the decisions made in these areas have a direct or indirect impact on forests and forest peoples’ rights. Fern's campaigns fall within the following areas: forests and climate, forest governance, biodiversity offsetting, bioenergy, and finance and trade. In all these areas, Fern works very closely with a large number of environmental groups and social movements across the world.
Fern's official mission statement describes the organisation and its aims thus: Fern works to achieve greater environmental and social justice, focusing on forests and forest peoples’ rights in the policies and practices of the European Union.