Alina Liviet Santiago appointed as president of the FSC Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee

During the 43^rd meeting of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee (PIPC), held in Bonn, Germany, PIPC Vice Chair Alina Liviet Santiago Jimenez was elected president by the committee members, after 6 months of serving as acting chairperson, together with the Vice-Chairperson, Praful Lakra, the committee members unanimously decided to proclaim Ms. Alina Santiago as acting chairperson of the FSC Permanent Committee on Indigenous Peoples. 

The FSC Indigenous Foundation congratulates Ms. Alina Santiago on her appointment and reaffirms its commitment to supporting her in this new role. 

“Thank you very much for the trust and I feel very committed to the FSC and to the Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee. It is a great responsibility that has been entrusted to me today. We have high expectations with the new 2025 work plan,” said Alina Santiago. 

Ms. Alina Santiago belongs the the Zapoteco Indigenous People from the community Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked alongside Indigenous communities on a wide range of issues, including FSC certification, community governance, and sustainable livelihoods. 

A dedicated advocate for the rights and sustainable practices of Indigenous Peoples, Alina Santiago is an individual member of FSC’s Southern Social Chamber. Her work focuses on advancing Indigenous-led solutions to environmental and social challenges through effective leadership and advocacy. 

In Mexico, Alina Santiago has overseen the chain of custody and multi-site chain of custody certification process and has contributed to the preparation of audits for Forest Management certification. She is a consultant for Indigenous communities in the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca, where she provides expertise in management, project development, and the formation and monitoring of communal enterprises. She supports FSC certification and resource management in collaboration with national and international organizations.  

She currently holds the position of health councilor in the municipality of her community, which is governed by the Indigenous normative system. 

Learn more about the sustainable forest management models implemented in her community. 

Praful Lakra, PIPC representative from Asia, will continue in his role as Vice President of the PIPC, and David Flood, PIPC representative from Canada, will also serve as Vice President.