From 26 – 28 July, the 20th ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF) Meeting in Putrajaya, over 80 senior officials from ASEAN Member States (AMS) gathered to formulate and implement regional cooperation projects and activities related to forestry, conservation and timber trade.
The Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) participated in an exhibition held alongside the event, and showcased its experience on timber certification in pursuing sustainable forestry management.
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, also visited the MTCC’s exhibition booth.
“Malaysia has been a leader in this region for timber certification when the MTCC was established in 1998. Through the Working Group on Pan ASEAN Timber Certification Initiative established under the ASOF platform, MTCC has been sharing its experiences and expertise in operationalising our national scheme – the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) – with other AMS,” said MTCC CEO Yong Teng Koon.
Currently only Malaysia and Indonesia have an operational national timber certification scheme in Southeast Asia. The implementation of a national timber certification scheme is in line with the Strategic Plan of Action for ASEAN Co-operation in Forestry (2016-2025) where all ASEAN member states are required to implement the ASEAN Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Management of Tropical Forests.
