Indonesia is the largest exporter of tropical timber in the world. With exceptionally high levels of illegality, the forest sector in Indonesia has become the focus for a wide range of donor-, NGO and private-sector initiatives aimed at promoting legal and sustainable trade. However, while many of these efforts focus on civil-society monitoring and voluntary standard-setting, the priority remains to strengthen the mandatory “backbone” of existing monitoring and verification systems. This includes: (i) Legal compliance in respect of timber administration (PUHH) and harvest practices (including compliance with selective Cutting and environmental management systems); (ii) ‘Certification’ against mandatory C&I for SFM, introduced under an initiative to revitalize and secure the long-term viability of natural production forest management. (iii) Mandatory export registration (EPTIK).