May 22, 2025
In 2014, the FAO Committee on Fisheries adopted the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). These guidelines were created by the small-scale fisheries movements in negotiation with governments. Adopting a human rights-approach, the Guidelines recognize the fundamental role played by the fisherfolks and Indigenous Peoples in food security, as well as social, economic, and environmental aspects of fisheries and water bodies protection. They can guide national governments to implement public policies that defend the collective rights of fisherfolks. In the years that followed, the Fisheries Working Group of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC) continued advocating for and advancing the dissemination and implementation of the SSF Guidelines. IPC’s movement leaders worked in collaboration with governments, academia, and the FAO Division on Fisheries to ensure that these guidelines would translate into tangible outcomes on the ground.
In 2016, with the support of the FAO Division on Fisheries, the IPC proposed a mechanism for the engagement of different actors at the global level that aimed at implementing and mainstreaming the SSF Guidelines at the national, regional and global levels. Named ‘Small-Scale Fisheries Global Strategic Framework’ (SSF-GSF), this mechanism was welcomed by the Member States in the 2018 FAO Committee on Fisheries. Since then, the mechanism has been active thanks to the efforts of the Working Group on Fisheries of the IPC and the funds channelled through the FAO Umbrella programme from the Swedish government, and the support from SwedBio, a Swedish development programme that funded the creation of regional processes to support this global SSF-GSF. After 7 years, it is time to review this mechanism, evaluating what worked and what did not.
From May 16 to 19, representatives of SSF global movements and support NGOs of the IPC FWG gathered in Trevignano Romano, Italy, for an in-person meeting aimed at renewing and advancing the implementation of the SSF-GSF. The event marked a key moment in strengthening political strategies, global and regional coordination, and collaboration with the FAO and governments worldwide.
The four-day meeting opened with a collective affirmation on expectations: building strategic influence in global policy spaces like the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), reinforcing grassroots connections, and revitalizing the SSF-GSF to reflect current challenges and aspirations. Youth participation, Indigenous Peoples rights, and effective engagement with governments were key cross-cutting themes.
Participants explored how decisions are made within FAO and identified points of influence across its governance structure, from Technical Sub-Committees to Regional Conferences. The global SSF Movements emphasized the importance of Regional Advisory Groups (RAGs) as spaces for coordinating the SSF movements at regional level, and the National Plans of Action (NPOAs) as spaces for SSF movements to engage at national level. A particular focus was placed on ensuring civil society’s access to these channels to advocate for and monitor the implementation of the SSF Guidelines.
A key session unpacked the complexities of equitable access to resources under FAO’s “Better Production 4” (BP4) initiative. Discussions highlighted practical pathways to enhance tenure rights, market access, social protection, and knowledge sharing for SSF communities. The group agreed that implementation must be localized, supported by both political will and strategic communication.
One of the meeting’s major achievements was the revitalization of the SSF-GSF structure. SSF movement leaders agreed upon new Terms of Reference, outlining the roles and responsibilities of the Advisory Group (AG), the RAGs, the FAO, the Friends of the Guidelines (governments), the Knowledge Sharing Platform (KSP) and a new independent Secretariat able to stimulate the mechanism’s work. This renewed framework emphasizes stronger coordination between the national, regional, and global levels, while it also encourages the inclusion of more SSF Regional organizations at different levels.
To maintain momentum, an action plan was outlined leading up to key FAO events in 2025–2026, including the Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management, the SSF Summit and the next COFI session. These steps will focus on advocacy, fundraising, coordination, and capacity-building to ensure that the SSF Guidelines remain central to fisheries governance and development.
The meeting concluded with a clear message: small-scale fishers are not just stakeholders but rights-holders. Their knowledge, leadership, and political agency are essential to achieving sustainable, inclusive food systems.