Current Status and Experience of Cooperation and Efforts Towards Mutual Recognition -

National Timber Certification Council Malaysia

 

NATIONAL TIMBER CERTIFICATION COUNCIL, MALAYSIA (NTCC)

· NTCC - independent non-profit organisation created to establish and operate voluntary national timber certification scheme

· Board of Trustees - representatives from timber industry, academic/research institutions, non-governmental organisations and government agencies

 

 

 

CERTIFICATION SCHEME

· Standard for forest certification is "Malaysian Criteria, Indicators, Activities and Standards of Performance (MC&I) for Forest Management Certification"

· Standard for chain-of-custody is "Requirements and Assessment Procedures for Chain-of-Custody Certification"

· Assessment Procedures for Forest Management and Chain-of-Custody Certification

· Assessors - terms & conditions for registration

· Peer reviewers - criteria for registration

 

 

STANDARD FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION

· Based on ITTO Criteria and Indicators (1998) as framework

· Regional and National-Level Consultation with interested parties in 1999

· Malaysian Criteria, Indicators, Activities and Standards of Performance (MC&I) for Forest Management Certification adopted

· Finalisation of Assessment Procedures in Using the MC&I for Forest Management Certification

 

 

STANDARD FOR CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY CERTIFICATION

· Finalisation of Requirements and Assessment Procedures for Chain-of-Custody Certification

 

 

COOPERATION OTHER SCHEMES - FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (FSC)

· Since 1999 - discussions with FSC to promote cooperation

· FSC's participation in formulation of MC&I for Forest Management Certification

 

 

COOPERATION WITH FSC

· Resulting from follow-up discussions, FSC and NTCC have agreed on the following activities:

· Joint study (in January 2001) by two independent consultants to examine process followed in formulation of MC&I for Forest Management Certification, and to compare MC&I with FSC Principles and Criteria - recommendations for amendments to MC&I

 

 

COOPERATION WITH FSC

· Workshop on Forest Certification (6-7 December 2000)

- to initiate work towards formation of Working Group to formulate FSC-compatible MC&I for Forest Management Certification, with recommendations from joint study as one of the inputs

- FSC-compatible MC&I for Forest Management Certification to be submitted to FSC for endorsement

 

 

COOPERATION WITH FSC

Decisions of Workshop

· To form a National Steering Committee to examine terms and conditions for collaboration with FSC

· NTCC Malaysia will consult with FSC on terms and conditions for collaboration based on recommendations of Committee

 

 

MALAYSIA-THE NETHERLANDS COOPERATION IN TIMBER CERTIFICATION

· Joint Working Group on Forestry (JWG) - pilot study on timber certification started in 1996

· Three products subject to certification process to enter Keurhout Hallmark System

· Assessment of Forest Management Units (FMUs) by independent assessor (SGS Malaysia) using agreed standard (MC&I)

 

 

MALAYSIA-THE NETHERLANDS COOPERATION IN TIMBER CERTIFICATION

· Three states in Peninsular Malaysia (Pahang, Selangor, Terengganu) assessed and awarded `Audit Statements'

· Keurhout Foundation issued `Declarations' that states concerned would make continuous improvement to achieve full compliance with MC&I by 2000

 

 

MALAYSIA-THE NETHERLANDS COOPERATION IN TIMBER CERTIFICATION

· Up to November 2000, 85,360 m3 of `audited' timber products exported &

    47 companies awarded chain-of-custody certificates

· 1998 & 1999 - discussions regarding assessment of FMUs to the requirements of the Dutch Minimum Requirements and to the 1998 ITTO criteria & indicators

 

 

MALAYSIA-THE NETHERLANDS COOPERATION IN TIMBER CERTIFICATION

· 2000 - discussions regarding assessment of FMUs to the newly formulated MC&I for Forest Management Certification

· Assessment of States to new standard by SGS Malaysia - major Corrective Action Requests (CARs) issued

· Surveillance audit of States to `close-out CARs'

 

 

MUTUAL OR MULTILATERAL RECOGNITION OF CREDIBLE CERTIFICATION SCHEMES

· Difficulties faced by developing countries with limited resources to meet individual certification requirements of different markets and to compete with more well-known schemes

· Urgent need for an international framework for mutual recognition so as to facilitate acceptance of certified products from all credible schemes

 

 

MUTUAL OR MULTILATERAL RECOGNITION OF CREDIBLE CERTIFICATION SCHEMES

· Proposed International Framework for Mutual Recognition - must be able to accommodate credible schemes from developing countries

· Should aim for mutual recognition of different schemes/systems and logos/labels