UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

The FAO has identified five key priorities on which it is best placed to assist countries: 1) eliminating hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, 2) making agriculture, forestry, and fisheries more productive and sustainable, 3) reducing rural poverty, 4) enabling inclusive and efficient agriculture and food systems, and 5) increasing the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crisis.

Under these priorities the FAO has numerous projects relating to human rights including their UN Sustainable Development Goal including to “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all” by the year 2030. Under this goal the FAO is taking measures to end forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking, and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers.

The FAO has focused on child labour in agriculture for decades and also plays a leading role in international fisheries and aquaculture policy, including through the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and related sub-committees on Fish Trade and Aquaculture. COFI work with a wide range of partners, including Governments, Regional Fisheries Bodies, cooperatives, fishing communities and others to implement the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries – which contains key measures to protect the human rights of fishermen