Ecobiz.asia – Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry has partnered with the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC)/Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) to develop and pilot a combined audit mechanism that integrates the country’s mandatory timber legality system with an internationally recognized sustainable forest certification scheme.
The cooperation agreement was signed on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) in Yogyakarta by Ade Mukadi, Director of Forest Product Processing and Marketing Development (BPPHH) at the Ministry of Forestry’s Directorate General of Sustainable Forest Management (PHL), and IFCC Executive Director Zulfandi Lubis.
The agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed in 2025 between the Directorate General of Sustainable Forest Management and IFCC. Under the new arrangement, both parties will jointly develop procedures and conduct pilot combined audits integrating Indonesia’s Timber Legality and Sustainability Verification System (SVLK) with IFCC/PEFC certification.
A combined audit allows two certification systems to be assessed simultaneously by a single audit team, reducing duplicate audit processes while improving efficiency without compromising the integrity of either certification scheme.
Ade Mukadi said the initiative represents a strategic effort to strengthen synergy between Indonesia’s national certification system and internationally recognized sustainability standards.
“The development of a combined audit mechanism between SVLK and IFCC/PEFC is intended to improve certification efficiency while maintaining the credibility of both systems. This initiative is expected to benefit forestry businesses, strengthen national forest governance, and enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian forest products in global markets,” Ade said.
IFCC Executive Director Zulfandi Lubis said the collaboration marks an important milestone in aligning Indonesia’s national standards with international sustainable forest management requirements.
“This partnership demonstrates our shared commitment to promoting sustainable forest management through a more efficient and effective audit mechanism. By integrating legality and sustainability requirements, the combined audit is expected to provide tangible benefits for certificate holders and certification bodies while strengthening international market confidence in Indonesian forest products,” Zulfandi said.
The cooperation covers the establishment of a joint working team, development of combined audit procedures, mapping the alignment between SVLK and IFCC/PEFC standards, defining auditor competency requirements, conducting pilot audits, evaluating the results, and refining the mechanism before broader implementation.
Both parties also agreed to carry out regular coordination, monitoring, and evaluation to ensure the initiative is implemented effectively. ***
audit mechanism integrating Indonesia’s SVLK timber legality system with IFCC/PEFC forest certification.
