FAO Guidance
This platform will enable the development of the FAO Guidance on Social Responsibility in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Value Chains.
About
FAO received the mandate on addressing social issues in the fisheries and aquaculture sector by its Members in 2027, which includes the protection and respect of human and labour rights.
The FAO Guidance on Social Responsibility in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Value Chains (FAO Guidance) aims at promoting and facilitating the implementation of international instruments, conventions and standards addressing human and labour rights, decent working conditions and social protection.
According to the FAO mandate, the FAO Guidance should be built upon existing international and universal instruments and conventions, in which the target audience is the private sector; however, Members agreed that the FAO Guidance could also be a valuable reference instrument for policymakers, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMO) and civil society.
The FAO Guidance will comprise of two parts. The first part will entail the framework, including internationally agreed principles and other horizontally applicable aspects throughout the fisheries and aquaculture value chains (gender, child labour and vulnerable groups). While the second part will be focused more on the activities developed at each stage of the fisheries and aquaculture value chains, and thus it will be divided into six sections – (1) industrial fishing, (2) small-scale fishing, (3) aquaculture production, (4) processing, (5) distribution, and (6) retailing. The second part of the FAO Guidance will provide complementary and specific measures to promote and facilitate compliance of existing international instruments to ensure better social practices in the sector.