At UN Forum, Forestry Minister Strengthens Forestry Cooperation with Republic of Congo
New York, VIVA – Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Forestry Economy of the Republic of Congo, Rosalie Matondo, at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, on Tuesday, 12 May 2026.
The meeting took place in a warm and constructive atmosphere, focusing on strengthening South-South cooperation in sustainable forest management, forestry economic development, and transforming the forestry sector towards sustainability-based management and environmental value addition.
During the meeting, Minister Rosalie Matondo expressed the Republic of Congo’s interest in learning about various policies and best practices from Indonesia in the forestry sector.
Key areas of focus included the development of timber traceability systems such as the Timber Legality Verification and Sustainability System (SVLK+), strengthening institutional financing for forestry and the environment like the Environmental Fund Management Agency (BPDLH), and developing knowledge and experience exchange programmes between the two countries.
Additionally, the Republic of Congo expressed interest in studying Indonesia’s experience in transforming forest management from a previous focus on timber forest products towards more sustainable environmental services and non-timber forest products that provide economic benefits to communities.
Meanwhile, Raja Juli Antoni welcomed this interest and reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening international collaboration in sustainable tropical forest management.
Indonesia views cooperation among tropical forest-owning countries as a strategic step in enhancing the forestry sector’s contribution to sustainable development, climate change mitigation, and improving community welfare.
“This bilateral meeting is part of Indonesia’s forestry diplomacy series at international forums in New York and also reinforces Indonesia’s position as one of the countries actively promoting global cooperation in forestry, ecosystem restoration, and green economy,” said Forestry Minister Raja Juli in an official statement, quoted on Wednesday, 13 May 2026.
Accompanying the Forestry Minister in the bilateral meeting were the Director General of Sustainable Forest Management, the Director General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation, and the Head of the Bureau of Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation.