KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has developed its own National Timber Certification initiatives and Timber Legality Framework to fulfil the market requirements, said Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Uggah said the global timber industry continued to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment, with the recently-emerging legality and sustainability requirements such as European Union Timber Regulation, Lacey Act in the US and Australia Illegal Prohibition Act.
He said over the years the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC) meetings had proved to be a significant feature of policy development and discussions for the tropical timber community.
“The International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) has realised outstanding progress in policy development and capacity building, predominantly through its consultative forums and projects funded, he said in his welcoming speech at the dinner in conjunction with 51st session of the ITTC and associated sessions of the committees.
The text of his speech was read by the ministry’s deputy-secretary general, Datuk M. Nagarajan.
Uggah said ITTO also has been decisive in addressing the issues of harmonising forest conservation and timber trade.
He hoped that ITTO would continue to actively engage its members in pursuing sustainable trade policies and practices for the consumer and producer countries.
The ITTC serves as a forum for consultation and cooperation with producers and consumers of timber, and conservation and environmental non-governmental organisations and timber trade associations. — Bernama