JPIK Shares Experience with Myanmar CSOs

Today, Independent Forestry Monitoring Network (JPIK), Friday (11/11/2016), meets Myanmar CSOs who are conducting a study tour in Indonesia regarding SVLK implementation in Indonesia. The meeting with JPIK was held at Sahira Butik Hotel, Jl. Paledang Bogor is intended to share learning about independent forestry monitors in Indonesia regarding their role in the FLEGT VPA process.

Myanmar is one of 14 other countries which are negotiating with the European Union to obtain FLEGT-License. FLEGT-VPA (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade – Voluntary Partnership Agreement) is part of the EU action plan to overcome the practice of illegal logging. With this action plan, the European Union has a regulation called the EU-TR (European Union Timber Regulation – EUTR), where importers (commonly called operators) are only allowed to place legal wood products on the EU market.

In a meeting with JPIK, the 8 Myanmar delegates responded well to what was conveyed. They come from six institutions in the multi-stakeholder Interim Task Force (ITF) to prepare for negotiations with the European Union. Namely Advancing Life & Regenerating Morherland (ALARM), Thuriya Sandra Environmental Watch Group, Green Network Sustainable Environment Group, Sein Yaung So, Bridging Rural Integrated Development and Grassroots Empowerment (BRIDGE), Dawei Research Association (DDA) and Pyoe Pin.

JPIK’s National Dynamics, M. Kosar in his presentation conveyed a lot of JPIK’s experience in monitoring SVLK implementation and policy advocacy, and the challenges faced by JPIK in carrying out its role in maintaining SVLK credibility.

Indonesia since 2007 has negotiated with the European Union to support legal timber products through the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK) which is a soft approach policy in combating illegal logging. This year Indonesia is considered ready to accept the FLEGT-VPA agreement with the European Union. It was decided that Indonesia could issue a FLEGT License on November 15, 2016. Thus the V-Legal Document issued for EU purposes as of November 15, 2016 will function as a FLEGT-License.

The issuance of FLEGT-License on 15 November 2016 made Indonesia the first country in the world to be entitled to issue FLEGT-License to the European Union. Besides Indonesia, there are 14 other countries which are currently negotiating with the European Union to obtain FLEGT-License. Some of these countries come from ASEAN regions such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand and Myanmar which are still in the preparation stage. Others come from Africa, such as Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Cote dʻIvoire, Congo and Gabon, and from the Latin American region (Guyana and Honduras).