Reform timber certification scheme, NGOs urge govt
Published on: Tuesday, September 10, 2024
By: FMT
The NGOs also pointed to the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme’s failure to obtain informed consent from indigenous communities in certified logging operations. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: Five NGOs have urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to reform the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) and address underlying issues, particularly the lack of independence among the auditors involved.
The group said it sent Anwar a report that pointed out, among others, how MTCS auditors are logistically dependent on the companies they audit during field visits, compromising their integrity and credibility.
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"This dependency is compounded by the fact that the companies select which company audits them, and pay their auditors directly,"the group made up of the Bruno Manser Fonds, the Borneo Project, Keruan, Save Rivers, and RimbaWatch said in a statement.
“The threshold for non-conformities that lead to suspensions of certificates is left to the discretion of the auditors, making the process inconsistent.
"Social standards, particularly those ensuring free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), are routinely deprioritised during audits."
FPIC is a specific right granted to indigenous peoples recognised in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which allows them to provide or withdraw consent at any point on projects impacting their territories, including logging operations.
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The NGOs also brought up the scheme’s failure to obtain informed consent from indigenous communities in certified logging operations, or to provide comprehensive information on developments, including potential risks, benefits and alternatives.
"Early audits failed to identify many social issues and only recognised the lack of consultations and community engagement after communities lodged complaints in later audits"it said.
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Additionally, community members often struggle to fully understand the information presented to them, including the details about the forest certification process.
According to the NGOs, the indigenous communities claim they were routinely unable to access even formally requested copies of reports, including maps of their own territories and mitigation requirements.
"We are careful with any meeting invitations from (logging companies). We are fed up with the dirty tricks of those who often look for opportunities to obtain our FPIC in malicious ways,"a Kenyah leader said in the report.
The NGOs hope the government will take immediate action to strengthen Malaysia’s forest certification system, ensuring it protects both the environment and the rights of the indigenous communities.
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