Indonesia pushes stronger ASEAN social forestry management

2 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry voiced support for efforts to enhance social forestry management across Southeast Asia to strengthen tenure security and increase community participation.

The ministry underscored its commitment by staging the Regional Knowledge Sharing of ASEAN Guiding Principles for Effective Social Forestry Legal Frameworks in Jakarta on Aug. 4–5, according to a statement cited on Tuesday.

“This collaboration serves as a crucial foundation for synchronizing national policies with regional aspirations, strengthening tenure security, and increasing community participation in forest management,” said Marcus Octavianus Susatyo, the ministry’s director of social forestry management, at the workshop.

He noted that the event brings together representatives from 11 ASEAN member states, providing a strategic venue to exchange policymaking experience, best practices, innovations, and challenges in implementing social forestry principles in their respective countries.

This year’s workshop builds on outcomes from earlier editions. At the 2024 event, ASEAN states identified priorities for implementing the guiding principles at the national level.

Indonesia followed up in 2025 by launching a national training program for forestry institutions to strengthen their capacity and identify procedural challenges in implementing social forestry.

The country is hosting the 2026 workshop to exchange views on progress, achievements, and challenges in social forestry while discussing regulatory updates, identifying replicable implementation models, and emphasizing the need to improve coordination between central and regional governments.

Discussions also cover simplifying procedures, strengthening guidance for social forestry groups, and expanding market access for businesses engaged in social forestry initiatives.

Azam Hawari, ClientEarth’s representative to Japan and Southeast Asia, welcomed the forum’s approach, underscoring the importance of ASEAN countries sharing insights into the practical and procedural challenges faced by authorities and communities in social forestry.

“There is no country that has all the answers. Therefore, this forum is considered important for countries to learn from one another, exchange experiences, and identify solutions that can be applied with respect to their respective contexts,” he said.