International Planning Committee
for Food Sovereignty (IPC)

Regional Advisory Groups

In 2019, the AG SSF-GSF expressed the need to establish regional platforms with the purpose of bringing the implementation process of the SSF Guidelines closer to the local realities.

The Regional Advisory Groups were then created in 2020 to ensure a coherent implementation of policies, strategies and actions in support of the SSF Guidelines implementation at the regional level, and to inform the AG SSF-GSF regarding the status of the implementation of the SSF Guidelines and of the fulfillment of the small-scale fisher and Indigenous peoples’ rights. 

They are composed of both SSF organizations members of the IPC and other SSF allied organizations. They were established following the FAO regional division, thus facilitating the interaction with the FAO regional offices and the FAO Regional Conferences. They develop regional coordination mechanisms, strengthen civil society’s efficiency to lead the implementation of the SSF Guidelines at the national level, and develop advocacy strategies.

Currently, the following Regional Advisory Groups are in place:

    • The Regional Advisory Group in Africa
    • The Regional Advisory Group in Asia and the Pacific
    • The Regional Advisory Group in Latin America and the Caribbean
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The Regional Advisory Groups

African Regional Advisory Group

Asia and Pacific Regional Advisory Group

Latin America and Caribbean Regional Advisory Group

Articles published on the RAGs

  1. RAG LAC
    1. The newly established Regional Advisory Group in Latin America and the Caribbean 
  2. RAG AFRICA
    1. Workshop for Establishing the African Non-State Actors Coordinating Platform in Fisheries and Aquaculture 
  3. RAG A&P
    1. First gathering of the Regional Advisory Group in Asia and the Pacific, Enhancing social movements perspectives to implement the SSF Voluntary Guidelines and here

List of events to which the RAGs took part since 2020

RAG LAC

2022

35th Session of FAO’s Committee on Fisheries (COFI) from 5th to 9th September 2022

RAG AFRICA

2020

  1. February 2020, the CSOs Regional Consultation, allowing the delegates to attend it and strengthen the small-scale fisheries representation in the elaboration of the CSOs agenda that have been brought to the attention of FAO during Regional Conference.
  2. A series of information sessions have also been hosted by the African RAG to raise awareness on the SSF Guidelines, targeting SSF CSOs, NGOs, academics, as well as officers from governments and international organisations. Three webinars were scheduled to take place from December 2020 to January 2021, with interpretations into 5 languages (English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, and Swahili). 

 

2021 

  1. IPC Working Group Youth training (September) aiming at increasing the capacities of IPC youth WG to influence the design, development, implementation and M&E of international and context-specific public policies to support youth in rural areas and; making the tool of public policy cycle accessible to apply for possible policy solutions for/ by youth contributing to the generational sustainability of food systems; providing tools, instruments and competencies to address international dialogue and public policy issues relevant for youth and family farming-centred food systems
  2. The 2022 FAO CSO Consultations with four representatives from the African Advisory Group in attendance. 
  3. Caopa Videoconference “Who Owns the Fish? “ (October) : Moderated by five experts, the webinar aimed to address questions on the main aspects of resource management and access including transparency, accountability, access of foreign fleets, IUU fishing, protected fishing areas for artisanal fishermen, PMAs, climate change, blue economy and so forth.
  4. Workshop for the establishment of a Continental Coordination Platform for the active involvement of Non- State Actors (NSAs) in fisheries and aquaculture (17-19 November in Accra, Ghana) jointly organised by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU IBAR), FAO and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA NEPAD). The African Advisory Group was represented by Ms Anita Lekgowa and Ms Sylvie Mpembe Mountsoueke,

2022

  1. The African Secretariat took part to the National multi-stakeholder and advocacy capacity building workshops on the SSF Guidelines organised by Lagos State University in collaboration with WorldFish, ICSF and FAO from 9th to 11th May. The AAG representative, Alieu Sowe (WFF), prepared a speech on Advocating for the implementation of the SSF Guidelines-The Africa Experience.  

35th Session of FAO’s Committee on Fisheries (COFI) from 5th to 9th September 2022

RAG A&P

2020

  1. Encountering Asian and Pacific SSF practitioners/partners (October 2020) to promote the SSF guide lines among the Asia Pacific regions and encourage the assessment and practice of SSF among the new regional members
  2. Regional CSO Consultation in Asia and Pacific, where civil society was represented by the delegates of the IPC Regional Process for Asia and the Pacific. These brought the positions defined in the CSOs’ coordination meeting held in early 2020, in which Ravedee Prasertcharoensuk and Mohommed Ali Sha (WFFP/Pakistan) represented the SSF constituency.
  3. FAO regional offices organise/participate in a meeting with the SSF actors: in Asia and Pacific, the Regional Advisory Group organised a meeting with the FAO Regional Officers in September 2020. A&P RAG was formally invited to become an observer of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC).
  4. In the framework of UNDFF, a survey on the impacts of COVID-19 on the small-scale food produces was distributed with the support of the RAG A&P. The surveys were conducted in five countries (RAG members’ home countries), with a different target according to their national organisations’ capacities. 
  5. The RAGs in Africa and A&P participated, as members of the IPC Delegation to COFI, in the two preparatory info sessions upon which the IPC Statements were drafted. One of the members of the RAG A&P also was identified as IPC speaker during the plenary sessions.

2021 

  1. FAO regional office’s webinar on 8th July in which Herman Kumara (WFFP) participated as representatives of the RAG with a presentation on “Small scale fisheries organizations, their role in implementing the SSF Guide lines and in achieving SDG14.b”
  2. SSF HUB webinar: Fisher Voices on Covid, Session I held in September and focused on stories from communities told by fishers, specifically about their experiences and how they have responded to the pandemic. During this webinar, fishers and fisher organizations shared challenges they encountered and advice that they have for others that may still be grappling with the hardships brought on by COVID8 ( For more information)
  3. 3 local meetings including a Webinar on 11th December with the participation of FAO regional members implemented by LVC’s representative Zainal ARIFIN FUAD (Indonesia);

2022

  1. RAG members were invited to ICSF and SDF’s IYAFA 2022 Asia Workshop in Bangkok, Thailand from 5th to the 8th May. The workshop was meant to strengthen the recognition of small-scale fisheries’ crucial contributions to global food security and nutrition, the importance of tenure rights in the sector, and social development. For more details on the 3-days workshop, please read the SAMUDRA for IYAFA 2022, published daily during the workshops, bringing you programme updates, interviews with participants and short articles on SSF in the region and the IYAFA Asia Workshop Statement   
  2. June 29th, the Asia and Pacific RAG participated in the UNDFF regional consultations 

35th Session of FAO’s Committee on Fisheries (COFI) from 5th to 9th September 2022

In addition, the Regional AGs in Africa and Asia and Pacific contributed to the following Statements and activities: