This is to inform that the Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management Certification (Natural Forest) or in short the MC&I(Natural Forest) has been adopted by the MTCC Board of Trustees at its Forty-Ninth Meeting held on 6 December 2011 as the standard for the certification of natural forest at the forest management unit (FMU) level under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS).
The MC&I(Natural Forest), which is the outcome of the review process of the MC&I(2002) led by a 15-member multi-stakeholder Standards Review Committee (SRC), will supersede the MC&I(2002) which has been the standard used for the certification of natural forests in Malaysia under the MTCS since October 2005.
The review of the MC&I(2002) is in line with the international norm and the standard setting process under the MTCS where the certification standard used is to be reviewed at least every five years to ensure continuous improvement.
In this connection, the review of the MC&I(2002) has been conducted in an inclusive, participatory and transparent manner, with the draft standards being subjected to scrutiny and deliberations through three meetings of the SRC, three meetings of the Panel of Experts (PoE), three regional consultations, as well as three public comment periods, over the period from April 2009 to September 2011. The milestones in the review of the MC&I(2002) resulting in the development of the MC&I(Natural Forest) are as shown in Table 1 below.
In line with the requirements regarding the implementation of changes to the MTCS, a transition period not exceeding one year is required to be provided to all the affected parties prior to the use of this new standard. All certificate holders and notified certification bodies have been informed that the MC&I(Natural Forest) will become mandatory to be used for the certification of natural forest under the MTCS beginning 1 January 2013. However, for those FMUs which are to be audited during the one-year transition period in 2012, the FMUs concerned have the option to choose either to be audited against the MC&I(2002) or the MC&I(Natural Forest).
As the Secretariat for the review process, MTCC would like to thank all the stakeholder groups, SRC and PoE for the advice, support and inputs provided which has resulted in the development of the MC&I(Natural Forest).
Table 1: Milestones on the Review of the MC&I(2002)
and the Development of the MC&I(Natural Forest)
No. |
Activity |
Date |
1. |
Announcement on review process to stakeholders |
February – March 2009 |
2. |
Circulating and posting of the MC&I(2002) on the MTCC website for a first (60-day) public comment period |
1 April – 31May 2009 |
3. |
Compilation of comments by Secretariat |
June 2009 |
4. |
First meeting of Panel of Experts (PoE) |
23 July 2009 |
5. |
Working Draft prepared by Secretariat incorporating all comments received, including the views of the PoE |
August 2009 |
6. |
First Meeting of the Standards Review Committee (SRC) to consider Working Draft |
29 – 30 October 2009 (K.L.) 15 – 16 December 2009 (K.K.) |
7. |
First Draft of MC&I(Natural Forest) prepared by Secretariat based on outcome of First Meeting of SRC |
December 2009 – February 2010 |
8. |
Circulation and posting of First Draft on the MTCC website for a second (30-day) public comment period |
10 March – 9 April 2010 |
9. |
Second Meeting of the PoE |
29 April 2010 |
10. |
Second Draft of MC&I(Natural Forest) prepared by Secretariat based on comments received, following discussions with PoE |
May – June 2010 |
11. |
Regional Consultation on Second Draft:- Sarawak- Sabah- Peninsular Malaysia |
19 – 20 July |
12. |
Third Meeting of the PoE |
27 – 28 January 2011 |
13. |
Third Draft of the MC&I(Natural Forest) prepared by Secretariat based on comments received, following discussions with PoE |
February 2011 |
14. |
Second Meeting of SRC to deliberate Third Draft and prepare Final Draft of the MC&I(Natural Forest) |
16 – 18 March 2011 (Miri) |
15. |
Circulation and posting of Final Draft of the MC&I(Natural Forest) on the MTCC website for final 60-day public comment period |
May – June 2011 |
16. |
Compilation of public comments received by the Secretariat |
July – August 2011 |
17. |
Third SRC meeting to finalise and adopt MC&I(Natural Forest) |
20 – 22 September 2011 (Langkawi) |