Indonesia calls for the market to give more due recognition to the timber legality verification system (SVLK), which is part of the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) cooperation scheme.
The reason is that SVLK goes beyond the issue of supplying legal wood products but also concerns efforts to control illegal logging, improve forest governance at the site level, and prevent climate change.
Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry Alue Dohong stated that starting in 2021 Indonesia will strengthen the SVLK with an emphasis on the sustainability of wood products.
“This means that SVLK-certified wood products must be produced with forest management that is fully committed to sustainability,” he said at a panel discussion session at the Indonesian Pavilion at the UNFCCC COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday 4 November 2021.
SVLK was started in 2001 by involving multi-stakeholders, government, business people, academics, NGOs, and the community.
The SVLK was then fully implemented in 2016. In 2019 the SVLK was equivalent to a FLEGT license for the European Union market. To date, SVLK is the only timber certification scheme that has received this equalization.
Indonesia’s experience in implementing SVLK has become an inspiration for other countries, Congo’s Minister of Forestry Economy, Rosalie Matondo, stated that his party continues to develop a certification system under FLEGT. “What SVLK Indonesia has achieved can be a lesson for us,” he said.
The Director General of Sustainable Forest Management at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Agus Justianto said that since the introduction of the SVLK, illegal logging cases in Indonesia have decreased.
SVLK also directly contributed to making Indonesia’s deforestation rate decreased drastically by 75% in the last decade, to only 115 thousand hectares per year in 2019/2020. “The lowest in history,” he said.
Agus emphasized that with the SVLK process and achievements, the market should give more recognition to Indonesian wood products. Not only EU and UK market but also global.
“The European market as well as the world should give recognition for products with SVLK,” said Agus.
Indonesian Ambassador to the European Union, Andri Hadi said that until now Indonesia is still under China and the United States as the main suppliers of wood products to the European Union and the UK. In fact, China and the United States do not have a partnership agreement (VPA) like the European Union with Indonesia.
“Article 13 on the FLEGT VPA which regulates market incentives has not been implemented by a number of EU member states,” said Andri.
Deputy Director General of the Environment of the European Union Commission Patrick Child stated that with the recognition of SVLK as a FLEGT license, Indonesian wood products can more easily enter the European Union market.
According to Patrick Child, Indonesian wood-based furniture and paper products are among those who enjoy this convenience. “But the impact does need to be optimized,” he said.
Patrick Child stated that his party promised that the European Union would continue to cooperate with Indonesia for the benefit of both parties regarding FLEGT. Including the issue of implementing due diligence on wood products that are not equipped with a FLEGT license.
Chairman of the Indonesian Forest Entrepreneurs Association (APHI) who is also the Chairman of the Indonesian Forestry Community Forum (FKMPI) Indroyono Soesilo stated that promotions need to be intensified to encourage the acceptance of SVLK.
Indroyono stated that Indonesia had proposed Ambassador Yuri O Thamrin as Executive Director of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) which is expected to be able to participate in promoting sustainable wood products such as the SVLK scheme.
“With his experience in international diplomacy, I am optimistic that it can be realized. ***
