By Jettie Word | Director
Dear friends,
Our NGO coalition has been busy since I last wrote, both in Sarawak and on the international stage. Here are the latest updates:
Civil society denied entry to EU anti-deforestation talks:
This month, we supported our partners Dayang Ukau from KERUAN and Celine Lim from SAVE Rivers as they traveled from Sarawak to Brussels to make their voices heard in high-level talks between the European Union, Malaysia, and Indonesia on the EU's new anti-deforestation regulation (EUDR). Despite promises that civil society could participate in the session, Dayang and Celine learned last-minute that the Southeast Asian government delegates had protested their participation -- instead demanding they not be allowed to sit in the same room.
Though this was egregious, we weren't surprised. Unfortunately, it's par for the course in Malaysia for civil society representatives and Indigenous activists to be sidelined when it comes to decisions that directly impact them and their communities. But Dayang and Celine will not be silenced in their fight to demand accountability from Malaysian companies that continue to destroy the forest and hoard the profits with impunity.
Read the story covered on Human Rights Watch
NGOs call on Anwar to fix Malaysia's broken timber certification system in new report:
Together with our partners KERUAN, SAVE Rivers, RimbaWatch, and Bruno Manser Fonds, The Borneo Project has called on Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to urgently reform the flawed Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS). In our report, How to Fix Critical Flaws in Malaysia's Timber Certification System, we expose the lack of auditor independence, inconsistent suspension practices, and the neglect of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in the certification process, particularly for Indigenous communities affected by logging.
Our report outlines key recommendations for strengthening the MTCS, including improving audit standards, ensuring accountability, enhancing FPIC compliance, and revamping the complaints process. With global attention on timber certification, these reforms are critical for Malaysia to align with international standards like the EUDR.
Thank you for your solidarity and support.
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