Enviro News Asia, Siem Reap — Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to advancing sustainable forest management and regional forestry cooperation during the 21st ASEAN Working Group on Forest Management (AWG-FM) held in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The Indonesian delegation was led by Ristianto Pribadi, Head of the Bureau of Public Relations and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Forestry, accompanied by the Director of Forest Product Processing and Marketing Development, along with representatives from the Ministry’s Secretariat General and the Directorate General of Sustainable Forest Management.
The participation reflects the directive of Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni to strengthen Indonesia’s forestry diplomacy while showcasing the country’s ongoing transformation in forest governance, which emphasizes sustainability, community welfare, and contributions to global climate action.
During the meeting, Indonesia presented its latest achievements in sustainable forest management, including updated national forestry statistics, technology-based forest monitoring systems, Nature-based Solutions (NbS), enhanced regional cooperation, and strategic recommendations to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) across ASEAN.
Indonesia also highlighted significant progress in its forestry sector, managing approximately 123.9 million hectares of forest, including 67 million hectares of sustainably managed production forests. The government emphasized that digital forestry services, improved national forest monitoring, and the implementation of the enhanced Timber Legality and Sustainability Verification System (SVLK+) have strengthened the competitiveness of Indonesian forest products in international markets.
The delegation further presented the achievements of Indonesia’s Social Forestry Program, which has granted community forest management access covering approximately 8.4 million hectares, benefiting more than 1.4 million households and supporting the establishment of over 16,600 Social Forestry Business Groups (KUPS). The program has become one of Indonesia’s key strategies for improving rural livelihoods while ensuring long-term forest conservation.
Indonesia also introduced the implementation of Minister of Forestry Regulation No. 6/2026 on Carbon Economic Value Management in the Forestry Sector, describing the regulation as a major milestone in strengthening the integrity of Indonesia’s forest carbon market, providing legal certainty for stakeholders, and creating broader opportunities for green investment.
In regional discussions, Indonesia encouraged stronger ASEAN cooperation in forestry investment, digital forest management, the development of a forest-based bioeconomy, carbon trading, forest product diversification, and the accelerated implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action on Sustainable Forest Management.
Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni emphasized that Indonesia remains committed to positioning the forestry sector as a pillar of national development capable of balancing economic growth, environmental protection, and community welfare. He stated that, under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, the Ministry of Forestry continues to modernize forest governance while strengthening regional collaboration to protect tropical forests and support global climate action.
Meanwhile, delegation leader Ristianto Pribadi said the ASEAN forum serves as an important platform to strengthen technical cooperation and introduce Indonesia’s forestry policy innovations to ASEAN member states and development partners.
Indonesia’s active participation in the 21st ASEAN Working Group on Forest Management underscores the country’s commitment to reinforcing its leadership in sustainable tropical forest management and expanding regional partnerships to achieve sustainable forestry development across ASEAN. (*)
