The FAO Legal Office
provides in-house counsel in accordance with the Basic Texts of the Organization, gives legal advisory services to FAO members, assists in the formulation of treaties on food and agriculture, for which the Director-General acts as Depositary, publishes legal studies and maintains a database (FAOLEX) of national legislation and international agreements concerning food and agriculture (including fisheries, forestry and water).

Visit our publications page for a full list of legislative studies in print. Hard copies can be obtained by contacting FAO Publications Catalogue online.

Recent trends in the law and policy of bioenergy production, promotion and use, development of an analytical tool to assess national Biosecurity legislation, designing national pesticide legislation and international trade rules and the agriculture sector are the current legal issues addressed in four NEW legislative studies now available in print. Online versions are forthcoming. To order and for more on legal publications click here.

Country analyses of water legislation available online
The Water Law and Standards database is a resource being developed online at www.waterlawandstandards.org. A joint project by FAO and WHO, the database contains country level systematic analyses of the water resources legislation of approximately 50 countries, with plans for expansion and regular update and to add information on water quality standards..