Timber trade: Hj Saidin Salleh, Director of Forestry, talks about sustainable forest management. Picture: Courtesy of Forestry Department

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, April 9, 2009

THE certification of Asean forests serves to consolidate the criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management set by individual member states, Hj Saidin Salleh, Brunei's Director of Forestry said yesterday.

In his welcoming remarks during the Eighth Meeting of the Working Group on a Pan Asean Timber Certification Initiative, Hj Saidin acknowledged that members of the 10-member regional bloc each had their own perception in forest certification methods. The certification will also serve as a tool in improving governance.

"Towards the end, we intend to identify the core sets of criteria and indicators as framework for Asean forest management standards," he said. He also noted past initiatives to improve the respective capabilities of member countries in establishing national timber legality verification systems.

"The milestones that we have achieved and will be achieving in the near future will be the foundation of Asean forestry towards sustainable forest management," he said. Hj Saidin also highlighted that the trading of certified timber and timber products will also make Asean more competitive in the global market. "Considering the current trend of trading certified timber and timber products, it (has) become our growing concern to become competitive and at par with our global counterparts," he said.

In his speech during the opening session, Chew Lye Teng, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Timber Certification Council, said that the Working Group will try to finalise the draft of Asean Guidelines on Phased Approach to Forest Certification.

The session continues today and will end with a farewell dinner hosted by the Brunei Sawmillers Association. (GDN1 & ODM1)
 

. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times