UN Oceans Conference: the statement from the global fisher movements

Today, the high-level UN Oceans Conference opens in New York. Many of the most powerful Transnational Corporations will be there to advance their business interests - which are known to dispose fishing communities and further add to the climate crisis. But the two global fisher movements, in their statement, call for the implementation of the UN International Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries.

5 June 2017 -The UN Oceans Conference start today in New York and it will focus on the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), in particular Goal 14 "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources". The World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers and the World Forum of Fisher Peoples counter the hegemonic view that SDGs are unquestionable and preeminent, and instead argue for the protection of Human Rights and our natural environmental through the implementation on the UN International Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries. Here below part of their statement and here the full version.

We call upon the UN member-states to work with the small-scale fisher peoples movements towards the implementation of the SSF-guidelines. The SSF-guidelines are the result of a bottom-up participatory development process, where we, as representatives of over 20 million fisher peoples globally, played a key role in their development. The SSF-guidelines are grounded in the international human rights standards and principles and together with the Tenure Guidelines are key tools to ensure the progressive realization of the right to adequate food and related rights; to guarantee the human rights of fishers and fishing communities; and to protect the natural environment. In other words: truly sustainable development. The process of implementing the SSF-guidelines is already underway through the Global Strategic Framework (GSF) of the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and we call upon governments to focus their efforts on this process.

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We, the representatives of over 20 million fisher peoples globally, will continue our constructive cooperation with national governments and the FAO in pursuit of the implementation of theSSF Guidelines and the further development of the GSF. We call upon the UN member states to work with us to ensure the progressive realization of our right to adequate food and related rights, and the protection of the natural environment. This can all be achieved through the development of the GSF and the implementation of the SSF guidelines.

(Source: www.worldfishers.org)