Streamlining efforts to combat IUU fishing. The Global Capacity Development Portal.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has organised a webinar during which the Global Capacity Development Portal app was presented as a tool for entities involved in capacity development projects to help them streamline efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The webinar was open to participants working in projects that enhance the capacity of States to combat IUU fishing, especially to project leaders and others directly involved in project-related work.
Dr Matthew Camilleri, Leader of the FAO Fisheries Global and Regional Processes Team, acknowledged the important role that many entities have in assisting States to improve their capacity to combat IUU fishing, and explained that the Global Capacity Development Portal is a tool available to all to facilitate such work around the world.
While encouraging project leaders to upload information about their projects, Dr Camilleri explained the importance for institutions, including intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to do so, so that duplication of efforts can be avoided, while entities can benefit from the opportunity to join forces and deliver a more coordinated approach.
Dr Camilleri also mentioned benefits that this Portal provides to donors, who can identify areas requiring more funding, as well as to recipient countries which, through this Portal, will be able to identify the type of capacity development programmes and support that are available.
Lastly, the Global Capacity Development Portal can also support formal processes such as those under the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) and guide Parties to the PSMA as to where capacity development may be needed most.
Ms Alicia Mosteiro, FAO Fisheries Officer, explained that the Portal currently shows information about 22 projects with a value of almost USD 28 million, the majority of which are FAO-led projects although more projects need to be added, led by different entities. Ms Mosteiro explained how FAO projects have supported more than 40 countries since the launch of the Global Capacity Development Programme in 2016, and the Organization is currently actively supporting more than 20 countries in different aspects.
Ms Mosteiro described how the Global Capacity Development Portal allows for projects to be grouped under different thematic areas, to assist users in searching and finding projects in the portal. She also described the importance that projects are uploaded by the Lead Implementing Institution, to avoid including projects more than once, while giving due visibility nonetheless to other implementing institutions.
A demonstration of the different features of the Global Capacity Development Portal was provided by Giuliano Carrara, FAO Fisheries Officer, who ran through the public search facility available through the FAO IUU fishing website, and the portal area to upload project-related information and resources which is accessible through a registered account.
Entities wishing to register for an account to upload project-related information can do so by clicking on the ‘Login’ button inside the Portal app, here. Should entities encounter difficulties or require assistance to upload projects, they can contact FAO Fisheries Officer, Ms Minmin Lei, at [email protected].
The Global Capacity Development Portal was launched by FAO in 2021. The Portal was funded by the European Union with contributions from the Government of Sweden.