What & When? The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) together with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea are co-organizing the global conference “Tenure and UserRights 2018: Achieving Sustainable Development Goals by 2030” (UserRights 2018) in Yeosu, Republic of Korea, 10 - 14 September 2018.

Why? Marine and inland fisheries provide millions of people around the globe with food security and livelihood opportunities. Advancing knowledge on how the world’s fisheries are accessed, used, and managed using various types of rights-based approaches is a crucial step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and attaining food security and nutrition and livelihoods.

The purpose of UserRights 2018 is to share information and practical experiences on tenure and rights-based approaches and how they contribute to achieving the SDGs. Session topics will include history and experiences with: (1) customary tenure rights and indigenous peoples’ tenure rights in fisheries, (2) open access fisheries, (3) limited access fisheries: input controls (licenses, IEs, TURFs), (4) limited access fisheries: output controls (TACs, IQs, CDQs, Catch Shares, QMS), (5) the post harvest sector, (6) competing fisheries stakeholders (migratory fishing, industrial and SSF, national, regional, international issues), (7) multiple use in coastal zone management and rights (aquaculture, MPAs, tourism, etc.), and (8) social aspects of tenure and user rights in fisheries (human rights, right to food, gender, indigenous peoples, youth).

UserRights 2018 will also look at the linkages between different types of tenure and rights-based approaches and how they contribute to achieving SDG 1 No Poverty, SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 10 Reduce Inequality within and among countries, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 14 Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development, and SDG 14b Provide Access for Small-scale Artisanal Fishers to Marine Resources and Markets.

How can I participate? Participation at UserRights 2018 is open and free to all. There is no registration fee. As part of progressing from perceptions to experiences, participants will exchange information and concrete examples by presenting case studies on how tenure and rights-based approaches can harmonize the concepts of responsible fisheries in social and economic development.

To increase the possibility of making comparisons across case studies, the UserRights 2018 secretariat has developed a questionnaire and a case study template. Conference participants are asked to complete the questionnaire and use their answers to write up a case study based on the template.

Please visit the conference website for more information: www.fao.org/about/meetings/user-rights.

If you have questions, please contact the conference organizers at [email protected].