Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF)

The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication were adopted in 2015. They are the first internationally agreed instrument dedicated to the small-scale fisheries sector. There are a number of criteria covering social development, employment and decent work.

The SSF Guidelines are based on internationally accepted human rights standards and are to be interpreted and implemented in accordance with those standards. Their objectives are to be met through the promotion of a human rights-based approach (HRBA). This approach seeks to ensure the participation of small-scale fishing communities in non-discriminatory, transparent and accountable decision-making processes by putting particular emphasis on the needs of vulnerable and marginalized groups and developing countries.

A workshop looked at “Exploring the human rights-based approach in the context of the implementation and monitoring of the SSF Guidelines” explored what the human rights-based approach means within the context of small-scale fisheries in general and the thematic areas covered by the SSF Guidelines in particular. It discussed what the HRBA entails in terms of the conduct of the various state and non-state actors to whom the SSF Guidelines are addressed as well as the needs of the different stakeholders in the various policy areas, with a view to developing guidance materials for the application of the HRBA in the implementation and monitoring of the SSF Guidelines.