Indonesia seeks stronger ITTO support for timber sector

hartono · May 14, 2026

Indonesia seeks stronger ITTO support for timber sector

File photo - Indonesia's Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni (right) meets with International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) Executive Director Sheam Satkuru at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on May 12, 2026. (ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Forestry)

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has urged the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) to strengthen support for improving the competitiveness of the tropical timber industry through more targeted technology transfer and capacity building.

The call was made by Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni during a bilateral meeting with ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on May 12.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Raja said the meeting discussed stronger cooperation between Indonesia and ITTO in supporting sustainable forest management, developing a sustainable tropical timber industry, and improving the global competitiveness of Indonesian forestry products.

The minister emphasized Indonesia's commitment to strengthening the Legality and Sustainability Verification System (SVLK+), including by integrating geotagging technology to improve transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain from upstream to downstream.

"SVLK+ provides a credible guarantee that Indonesian forestry products originate from legal and sustainably managed sources, while strengthening national forestry accountability and governance," he said.

Indonesia also invited ITTO to support broader international recognition of SVLK+, particularly in consumer countries, to improve market acceptance of Indonesia's verified sustainable timber products.

Raja said the meeting was part of Indonesia's efforts to strengthen forestry diplomacy globally and expand international cooperation in sustainable forest management, responsible forest-product trade, and climate action.

Meanwhile, Satkuru reaffirmed ITTO's commitment to supporting Indonesia through several ITTO-funded projects, including peat ecosystem management, mangrove rehabilitation and conservation, and forest-product development.

She said Indonesia, which has the largest forest area among ITTO members in Asia, remains a key member of the organization.

Satkuru added that ITTO welcomed Indonesia's forestry representation within the organization through existing mechanisms.