Myanmar: Launch of third party certification

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ITTO/Fordaq
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According to the domestic media the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC) launched its Third Party Certification System at an 8 August workshop in Yangon.

It is reported that there are four Certification Bodies, three local and one international, which will issue Legality Compliance Certificates under the Myanmar Timber Legality Assurance System (MTLAS).

Barber Cho, Secretary of the MFCC, explained that the MTLAS Gap Assessment Project conducted in 2016-17 with the assistance of the EU and FAO recommended MFCC to initiate a system of third party certification. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) assigned the MFCC to implement this.

To proceed the MFCC contracted international consultants to design the documentation tracking system and to conduct auditor training under an MFCC-PEFC supported project in order to strengthen the MTLAS. This effort was funded through a grant from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Cho explained that the MFCC has worked hard to overcome the challenges to achieve its aim but that the MFCC still has more to do to make the MTLAS credible and internationally recognised.

Greater transparency is high on the agenda of the MFCC.

At a recent meeting in Brussels several Competent Authorities (CAs) complained of the lack of information being provided by Myanmar. To improve transparency and access to information the MFCC has launched a website http://www.mfcc.com.mm.

The Myanmar Timber Enterprise also has a website (www.myanmatimber.com.mm ) and the Secretary of the MFCC has urged the EU CAs to access these sites. A recent ‘hit’ analysis showed that few entities in the EU have been accessing the information that is available seeming to prefer to rely on third party sources. Cho appealed to the CAs in the EU to avail themselves of the latest information.

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