About MFCC
“Empowered to execute all processes of
forest and timber related certification”
History
Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC) grows out of the Timber Certification Committee of Myanmar (TCCM). Most importantly, a Myanmar Ministry of Forestry decree create the TCCM as a non-profit, non-political and impartial organisation in 1998. In addition, a central part of the mandate is to carry out forest and timber certification and create an enabling environment for the sustainability of Myanmar Forests. MFCC also aims to promote market access of Myanmar forest products in the international trade. As a result the TCCM was changed to ‘MFCC’ through a Ministerial Formation Order with the approval of the President’s Office in 2013 – ‘Notification No. (24/2013)’, that mandate remains. MFCC’s activities cover the entire forest and non-forest products, and MFCC has been empowered to execute all processes of forest and timber related certification.
Furthermore, the MFCC Secretariat is assists by the MFCC Secretariat which implements day-to-day activities of the organisation on behalf of its committee.
Work
Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC) is the National Governing Body (NGB) of forest/timber certification schemes in Myanmar. Currently there are two certification schemes operating in Myanmar:
- The Myanmar Timber Legality Assurance System (MTLAS);
- The Myanmar Forest Certification Scheme (MFCS).
MFCC has the following overall responsibilities:
- supporting and coordinating the standard setting processes for both MTLAS and MFCS.
- ensuring our stakeholder engagement and transparency policies are followed;
- communicating and engaging with NGOs/INGOs ;
- issuing trademark usage permission;
- processing complaints, appeals and disputes related to its role as the NGB of MTLAS and MFCS;
MFCC Organisational Chart
MFCC Members
As of the new formation of MFCC, which was reconstituted again in 17th of February 2021, the current Chairman of the MFCC is the Director General of Forest Department. Moreover MFCC Secretary U Barber Cho, who has over a decade of experience in international trade and has been a long time champion of promoting SFM best practices in Myanmar.
The members themselves (currently 13 in total) comprise representatives from environmental NGOs, the Private Sector, civil society organizations, timber merchant organization, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC), and relevant Myanmar Ministries.
Technical Working Group
In order to to revise the MFCC standards, to develop notification requirements, and evaluate the problems that related with the certification process, the Technical Working Group were needed to be formed. Therefore, in December 18, 2018, during the second internal meeting of MFCC, the committee have decided to form a TWG which have balanced representation and decision-making by stakeholder categories relevant to the subject matter with equal representation of the following stakeholder groups: environmental, economic, social (indigenous peoples), social (workers’ union), and relevant government agencies, where single concerned interests will not dominate nor be dominated in the process.
This committee is an independent advisory committee and it provides objectives advice and recommendations to the CB regarding the sufficiency, quality and result of assurance on the adequacy and functioning of the risk management, control and governance frameworks and processes.
Technical Working Group is composed of the following members (Myanmar Version). And the Terms of reference (Myanmar Version) for the purpose and structures of a committee has been available in Myanmar Version and you can also view minutes of meetings and the rest of the documents in our resources page.
MFCC Secretariat
Win Hlaing
Chief Executive OfficerPrevious National Myanmar FLEGT Facilitation Advisor, Mr Win is now CEO of MFCC. He has over fifty years’ experience in the forestry sector and extensive experience in stakeholder groups and Working Groups.
Thawdar Nyein
CoC Technical OfficerThawdar has four years’ experience in roles in Forestry including project management within NGOs, and the private sector. She graduated from the University of Forestry in 2013.
Moh Moh Mg Zin
Systems DevelopmentMoh Moh supports management system development. She has over two years’ experience in the forestry sector in MFCC and environmental NGOs. She is a graduate of the University of Forestry in Yezin.
Htet Htet Kyaw
FinanceHtet has been working in MFCC for around 15 year, and is seconded from the Myanmar Timber Enterprise. Htet majored in Mathematics and graduated from Yangon University, Myanmar.
Aung Kyaw Soe
AdministrationAung graduated form Mandalay University with a degree in Mathematics. He has been with MFCC for over 10 years and amongst other tasks coordinates MFCC stakeholder mapping and communications.
May Zun Phyo
SFM Technical OfficerMay is a graduate of the University of Forestry in Yezin. She has four years experience in forestry and biodiversity conservation within a Plantation, Environmental Company and NGO.
Win Hlaing
Mr Win is the CEO of Myanmar Forest Certification Committee. He is an ex-forestry executive with over fifty years’ experience of Myanmar timber supply chains. He also have a wide range of experiences. Mr Win also has extensive experience in stakeholder groups and Working Groups.
Mr Win was once the Senior Forest Policy Advisor for Fauna and Flora International and also the National Myanmar FLEGT Facilitation Advisor. He has experience in the UN on environmental programmes.
Thawdar Nyein
Thawdar Nyein currently work for Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC) as the Technical Officer. And she is responsible for the Supply Change Verification.
After finishing Bachelor degree from University of Forestry and Environmental Science (UFES) which is former University of Forestry (UOF) at Yezin, Naypyitaw, Myanmar in 2013, she worked full time jobs related with forestry and environmental fields to the current date. Now she is currently attending the GIS Post Graduate Diploma at Dagon University, Yangon
In addition, she also finished Auditor Training for Sustainable Forest Management and PEFC Chain of Custody Training in Thailand. Secondly, she also finished the Auditor and Participatory Assessment Training which has been organized by MFCC, course of Environmental Monitoring for Industrial Water Pollution at Advancing Life and Regeneration Motherland, ALARM, Project Development and Proposal Writing Training and Creative Writing by Jack Laurenson, Editor of IUCN, at MERN Office.
In 2014, she worked as the Research Assistant at E- Guard Environmental Services Company. As a result she had to collect the water sample, did the social/socioeconomic survey and traffic survey for many projects.
In 2015, she worked as the Supervisor at Teak Plantation of Phyo Si Thu Trading Co.;Ltd. In addition, she did as field Volunteer for Flooded Areas Rehabilitation Project in Advancing Life and Regenerating Motherland, ALARM.
Further in 2016, she worked as the Project Assistant at the local NGO named Friends of Wildlife (FOW) for one year. At there she worked for the Human and Elephant Conflict (HEC) Project and Gibbon Surveying Project.
From 2017 to the current date, she worked for Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC) as the Technical Officer of “Myanmar Timber Legality Assurance System (MTLAS) Gap Analysis Project” and the another project named as “Working in Partnership to bring Sustainable Management to Myanmar’s Forests”.
May Zun Phyo
May Zun Phyo is a technical officer responsible for sustainable forest management. She also assists in timber legality certification in Myanmar against MTLAS.
She graduated from University of Forestry in 2013. May is one of the recipient of the Nagao Natural Environment Foundation’s Scholarship from 2008 to 2013 academic years. After graduation, she served as a quality control officer of Great Wall International Co.,ltd for one year. She used to take the management role and supervise other staffs together with Chinese Technician in Great Wall International Co.,ltd.
Prior to joining MFCC in 2017, she had been two years full time working experience as a project assistant and project officer at Friends of Wildlife, a community based biodiversity conservation NGO. During her previous work, Friends of Wildlife, she finished conducting socio economic and livelihood survey, household survey, consultation meeting for village level. She has also experienced as a co-facilitator for awareness raising activities. As part-time job, she worked as flora and fauna consultant for Ramboll Environ Myanmar Co.,ltd.
You can reach May Zun at [email protected].