Enviro News Asia, New York — The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, in collaboration with the Broader Market Recognition Coalition (BMRC) and the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR), hosted a side event titled “Unlocking the Potential of Timber and Bamboo in International Trade through Sustainable Forest Governance” on Tuesday (May 5, 2025), on the sidelines of the 20th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF20) at the UN Headquarters in New York.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Forestry, Laksmi Wijayanti, Director General of Sustainable Forest Management at the Ministry, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of forestry policies to promote inclusive forest governance, challenges in trade such as tariff and non-tariff barriers, and the need for global collaborative approaches to achieve broader market recognition for legal and sustainable forest products.
Krisdianto, Head of the Public Relations and International Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Forestry and Honorary Co-Chair of BMRC, presented the vision, mission, and strategies of the BMRC.
The side event featured Mr. Borja De La Peña Escardó from INBAR, who highlighted the role of bamboo in promoting sustainable forest governance.
Mrs. Rosa Benavides from Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition shared policy recommendations for bamboo management in Ecuador and the impact of the bamboo supply chain on local livelihoods.
Dr. Joseph Appiah-Gyapong from the Ghana Forestry Commission focused on the governance framework for bamboo management and supply chain development, as well as its implications for trade and economic development.
Dr. Hugh C.A. Brown, also from the Ghana Forestry Commission, discussed the progress of FLEGT licensing implementation and trade in forest products in Ghana, and how coalitions can support producer countries in gaining access to international markets.
The side event was moderated by Mr. Wilson Fernandes Negrão Júnior from Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
Key recommendations from the meeting included: the need to build capacity for smallholder farmers, the promotion of knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices, and the importance of connecting to markets.***
