By: Rizal Bukhari

Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia (14/12)-Starting from Friday (04/12) to Sunday (13/12)Svensk Skogs Certifiering AB (SSC) conducted a program on Forest Certification in Indonesia in cooperation with WWF Indonesia and Perum Perhutani (a state owned forestry company under the responsibility of the Ministry of Forestry Indonesia). SSC is a small, Swedish based consulting company with branch offices in Chile and Africa and a network of independent consultants. The prime work is providing consultation regarding sustainable forestry esp. certification. Through a sub consultant and DNV, this company also engages forest certification and FSC- standard development in Sweden.
The participants were some 28 forestry related persons from 10 different countries: which are Indonesia (host), China, Vietnam, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Peru, Chile and Ecuador and there is a lead team with persons from Indonesia, Sweden, United Kingdom and Chile.

The program is mainly being in the field using locations of Perum Perhutani in Kendal, Cepu and other areas concentrated in Central Java. Objects visited by participants were the nursery, young teak plantation, old teak trees, thinning activity, timber harvesting, log yard, social aspects with forest communities, integrated teak wood industry, including small household wooden teak industry.
The first day of the programme 4th of December 2009 was held successfully in Semarang, the capital city of Central Java province with opening ceremonies agenda. Official speeches were addressed by President Director of Perum Perhutani Madam Upik Rosalina Wasrin, the Ambassador of Sweden at Jakarta Madam Eva Polano, President of SSC Klas Bengston, Director Forest WWF Indonesia Mr Dian Achmad Kosasih and representative of Governor of Central Java. This was followed by an overview of the Indonesian forest sector given by a number of stakeholders. The stakeholders invited in the opening ceremony were from the Ministry of Forestry (Center of Standardization of Environment), APHI (Association of Indonesian Forest Concessions Holders), LEI (Indonesian Ecolabel Institution), and TFT (Tropical Forest Trust).