Indigenous communities in Sarawak win a landmark victory as the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) and international timber certifier visit Sarawak to inspect timber operations. [SARAWAK / MALAYSIA] – In a major victory for Indigenous communities defending their customary lands, Samling has withdrawn several of its timber concessions from the...
Many consumers want to make responsible choices when it comes to their purchases, but sometimes it’s hard to know what the safer, more ethical choice is. Certification schemes are a tool that many people (understandably) use to help them make those choices. Unfortunately, the credibility of these schemes is not...
Certification body SIRIM uses Penan rejection of logging as a reason to reinstate certificate – Penan ask Samling representatives and SIRIM auditors to leave (LIMBANG / SARAWAK) During the January audit of timber giant Samling’s Ravenscourt Forest Management Unit (FMU) in Northern Sarawak, the local semi-nomadic Penan communities boycotted the...
Indigenous reps at COP27 say we are “horrifyingly far from our goals” if what is happening on the ground continues to be ignored Last month, a coalition of NGOs submitted a complaint to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) against Malaysian timber giant Samling. The 40+ page report chronicles allegations from...
May 13, 2022 Indigenous delegates from Malaysia visit the Netherlands, top importer of MTCS certified timber, to raise concerns about the certification scheme(THE HAGUE / NETHERLANDS) An Indigenous delegation from Malaysia is currently in the Netherlands to speak to the Dutch government about suspending its endorsement of the Malaysian Timber...
In conjunction with MTCC’s participation at PEFC International’s upcoming members meeting in Dublin, civil society organisations argue MTCC is unable to uphold timber certification standards. May 10, 2022(MIRI / SARAWAK / MALAYSIA) As the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) attends the members’ meeting for the Programme for the Endorsement of...
Civil society organisations argue MTCC dispute resolution process is faulty, standards not met for Gerenai Forest Management Unit under timber giant Samling(MIRI / SARAWAK / MALAYSIA) A group of organisations lodged an official complaint with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the international body based in Switzerland...
Originally published in Mongabay by Sheryl Lee Tian Tong Penan and Kenyah Indigenous communities in Malaysian Borneo will be given a chance to formally air their complaints against a timber company operating in their traditional territory, following the start of a dispute resolution case between the two sides. The Malaysian...
Originally published in The Borneo Post MIRI (May 21): Some 36 Dayak communities in Ulu Baram and Ulu Limbang last week filed official complaints with the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) against the certification of two logging concessions, according to two non-govenrmental organisations (NGO). The Borneo Project and Bruno Manser...
