Fellows of the NIPPON Foundation of Japan make first time visit to FAO

22/03/2023

Rome, 13 March 2023

For the first time, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) featured among the international institutions visited by the Nippon Foundation Fellows, as part of their capacity building and training programme at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), in Hamburg, Germany[1]. The ITLOS, in cooperation with the Nippon Foundation [2], runs this yearly programme on dispute settlement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Development Law Service (LEGN) of the FAO Legal Office, in collaboration with the Fisheries Global and Regional Processes Team (NFIFP) of the FAO Fisheries Division, welcomed the Nippon Fellows for a full morning visit at FAO premises, in Rome. The visit began with a guided tour of the FAO premises, followed by presentations on (i) the Organization, functioning, and services of the FAO Legal Office; (ii) the issues of implementation, challenges and prospects of the FAO Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas (Compliance Agreement); (iii) the key features of the FAO Treaties Database and FAOLEX database; (iv) the activities led by LEGN outreach and communication, including the subscription to the LEGN Magazine; and (v) an instructive overview of international fisheries instruments, including the FAO Agreement to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA).

The visiting Fellows are: Ms Tamanna Tabassum Khan(Bangladesh), Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr Ricardo Jorge Vieira Tavares (Guinea-Bissau), Maritime Port Institute; Ms Devdatta Mukherjee (India), Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization; Ms Oghenekome Anthonia Adhepukoli (Nigeria), Federal Ministry of Justice; Mr Osvaldo Enrique Rosas Pino(Panama), Ministry of the Environment, and Ms Olesia Gorbun (Ukraine), Mykolas Romeris University. They were accompanied by Mr Marco Benatar (South Africa), Legal Officer, ITLOS.

Oghenekome Adhekpukoli: It was an amazing time for me at FAO, meeting with experts from the Legal and Fisheries Offices, and listening to the roles, impact and work of the FAO in strengthening compliance of fisheries instruments for countries.

Olesia Gorbun: It was a very productive morning at FAO headquarters, in Rome. The part of the visit with the presentations was the most enriching in acquiring knowledge and new information. I found it very interesting to hear directly from within the organization about the work of FAO and to be able to communicate with the professionals involved in such work. It was useful to learn the particularities of the FAO Treaties Database and FAOLEX database with immediate application in practical terms, and how to use such databases. My sincere gratitude to the FAO employees who hosted our visit and made it so interesting.

Devdatta Mukherjee: I thank LEGN and the NFIFP of the FAO Fisheries Division for the informative presentations and for sharing insights from their practical experiences with us. Also, the introduction to the databases would be beneficial to our future research undertakings.

Ricardo Vieira Tavares: The visit to FAO was an exceptional experience that taught me more about the organisation, its functions and services. It also allowed me to learn about FAOLEX and FAO TREATIES databases. These are comprehensive and up-to-date legislative and policy databases of national laws, regulations and policies, and international food, agriculture and natural resource management treaties. These databases are critical to me because I intend to work towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14, more precisely, its target 14.4 in my country, Guinea-Bissau.

[1] The programme is aimed at junior to mid-level government officials and researchers mainly from developing countries who are currently working on issues related to the law of the sea including fisheries law, maritime law or dispute settlement. It provides participants with a unique opportunity to develop their legal skills and deepen their practical knowledge of dispute settlement in the law of the sea under UNCLOS.

[2]The Nippon Foundation of Japan is a private, non-profit grant-making organization. It directs its revenue into philanthropic activities such as the pursuit of global maritime development. It funds a number of programmes through different organizations and institutions.