150 people representing 45 CSOs in Sarawak, research institutions and universities attended. FSC Malaysia representative Anthony Sebastian facilitated an open forum, mapping out CSOs and the SDGs. FSC Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee Board member Nicholas Mujah, and Malaysian FSC Standards Development Group member Thomas Jalong also attended.
Delivering the SDGs in Malaysia is a priority for the country’s new government. Direct government engagement with civil society organisations is an effective way of listening to society, delivering development that is inclusive and being held accountable to the people.
Towards this goal, a national alliance of CSOs is being formally established, and FSC-Malaysia has joined this effort. It is part of a task-force working on a viable and effective design for a National CSO Alliance specifically aimed at delivering the SDGs across all sectors, in all 13 states of Malaysia.
It is important for people to understand that almost all current civil society efforts can be framed through the SDGs, and therefore be included in National planning and reporting. FSC Malaysia is committed to contributing to this endeavor, as part of its Global Strategic plan, using its core strength as a convener of dialogue, and reducing inequalities in society through a robust and intrinsically sustainable forest industry.