RRI.CO.ID, New York - Indonesian Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, held a bilateral meeting with International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) Executive Director Sheam Satkuru at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The discussion focused on strengthening cooperation in sustainable forest management and developing a sustainable tropical timber industry.

In his statement, Raja Juli reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to enhancing the Legality and Sustainability Verification System (SVLK+). The system integrates geotagging technology to improve transparency and traceability across the forestry supply chain, from upstream to downstream.

“SVLK+ provides credible assurance that Indonesia’s forestry products originate from legal sources and are managed sustainably, while also strengthening accountability and national forestry governance,” he said in an official release on Thursday, May 14, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Indonesia also requested ITTO’s support to expand international recognition of SVLK+, particularly in timber-consuming countries, to boost global market acceptance of verified forestry products.

The government further urged ITTO to strengthen support for the competitiveness of the national tropical timber industry through technology transfer and targeted capacity-building.

Satkuru affirmed ITTO’s commitment to continue supporting Indonesia through strategic forestry projects, including peatland ecosystem management, mangrove rehabilitation and conservation, and forest product development. “Indonesia is a member country with the largest forest area in Asia and is a key member for ITTO,” she said.

ITTO also welcomed the presence of Indonesia’s forestry representatives within the organization through established mechanisms. This support is expected to reinforce Indonesia’s position in the international trade of sustainable timber products. ***