RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Forestry in collaboration with the British government, officially launched the Multi-stakeholder Forestry Program (MFP) Phase 5 as an effort to strengthen sustainable forest governance and enhance global trust in Indonesian forest products.

The launch of MFP Phase 5, supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), is a continuation of the strategic partnership between Indonesia and the UK that has been established since 2000. This program reaffirms Indonesia's commitment to strengthening transparent, inclusive, and results-oriented forest management, while also supporting the achievement of the 2030 FOLU Net Sink target.

The Minister of Forestry (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni emphasized that the MFP serves as a collaborative forum across stakeholders to continuously improve national forestry governance.

"The Multi-Stakeholder Forestry Program is not a new program. Since its first phase in 2000, many achievements have been made, including the effective Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK) and Indonesia becoming the first country to sign the FLEGT-VPA (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade - Voluntary Partnership Agreement)," Raja Juli conveyed in Jakarta, Monday, 9 February 2026.

According to him, through MFP Phase 5, Indonesia will continue to promote sustainable improvements in forest management, maintain the legality of forest products, and enhance the welfare of communities, especially those living around forest areas.

"We emphasize the importance of better forest governance to enhance the forest's carrying capacity and resilience. The balance between development and the environment must be maintained, and this program will help achieve that," he stated.

Meanwhile, the British Ambassador to Indonesia, Dominic Jermey, underscored the importance of international cooperation in addressing the challenges of climate change and forest protection.

"No country can face climate change alone." The future of Indonesia's forests is an important issue for the world and requires cooperation between the government and the Indonesian people to maintain biodiversity and forest cover," Dominic stated.

He added that the Indonesia-UK partnership through MFP Phase 5 provides benefits for achieving climate, biodiversity, and economic goals.

"This collaboration also opens up economic opportunities, including for MSMEs (micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises) and entrepreneurs from Indonesia and the UK in the development of sustainable forest products," he said.

MFP Phase 5 is under the direction of the Program Steering Committee (PSC), which involves representatives from both governments and relevant stakeholders. This program will support the strengthening of institutions at the national and site levels, enhance transparency and inclusiveness in governance, improve sustainability and legality systems such as SVLK, and expand market access for Indonesian forestry products.