The Indonesia Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK) is an effective instrument to ensure that wood products originate from legal sources and sustainably managed forests. The effectiveness of SVLK also meets the requirements of the European Union, which recently enacted the anti-Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
“SVLK has been recognized as an effective instrument to verify the legality and sustainability of Indonesian wood,” said Acting Director General of Sustainable Forest Management at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Agus Justianto, at the Indonesia-EU Joint Implementation Committee Meeting 2024 discussing the implementation of Indonesia-EU cooperation for improving law enforcement, governance, and trade in the forestry sector (FLEGT) in Jakarta on Friday, March 15, 2024.
SVLK has undergone a long journey of more than 23 years since Indonesia strengthened its commitment to law enforcement and combating illegal logging.
Agus recounted that in 2001, Indonesia hosted a ministerial-level meeting, which produced Bali Declaration on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance. The aim was to ensure forest sustainability through preventing illegal logging by improving forestry governance and promoting sustainable timber trade.
Indonesia then developed SVLK through a multi-stakeholder process to ensure the legality and sustainability of wood products. “This system is mandatory for all enterprises utilizing timber forest products at all stages of production, from upstream to downstream,” said Agus, delivering his statement via video broadcast.
“With the implementation of the SVLK, Indonesian timber and timber products that are destined for export, which are derived from both private and state forests, are legally guaranteed and certified as sustainably managed products,” Agus added.
The credibility of SVLK has been acknowledged by various consumer countries. It is also acknowledged by New European Union Deforestation-free Regulation, in the paragraph 81. “So, SVLK certificates with geolocation meet the EUDR regulation,” Agus emphasized.
He continued, stating that the European Union has officially recognized the credibility of SVLK through the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on FLEGT signed on September 30, 2013. Under this agreement, Indonesian SVLK certificates are equated with FLEGT licenses. Indonesia was the first country to achieve this among the 15 timber-producing countries, followed by Ghana in 2023.
Under SVLK, businesses must comply with legality requirements related to the origin of wood and other requirements such as environmental management, worker welfare, and gender issues. Implementation is audited by third parties (Independent Assessment and Verification Institutions/LPVI) accredited by the National Accreditation Committee based on international standards (ISO). Each stage of the process is directly monitored by civil society organizations.
Director of Forest Product Processing and Marketing at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Krisdianto, added that SVLK continues to undergo sustainable development towards improvement, including the implementation of rules regarding geolocation to enhance traceability. “To further strengthen the legality and traceability of wood raw materials, information system interconnection is also being carried out,” Krisdianto said.
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He added that the credibility of SVLK is also evident in Indonesia’s placement at the highest rank in the Global Timber Index (GTI), a platform promoting legal and sustainable timber trade published by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).
Also part of the Indonesian Delegation at the Joint Implementation Committee Meeting 2024 were representatives from relevant ministries and institutions, businesses, civil society organizations, and LPVI. ***
