The IYAFA International Steering Committee

The function of the International Steering Committee (ISC) provides overall guidance and assistance to the development and implementation of the IYAFA 2022 action plan, including the establishment of regional committees, as well as mobilization of political and financial support.

Their main role is to: 

  • Provide inputs and advice for the IYAFA 2022 Action Plan development;
  • Provide guidance on the overall implementation of the IYAFA 2022 and fostering linkages with other relevant initiatives such as the Decade of Family Farming when appropriate;
  • Identify opportunities and help promote IYAFA 2022 in relevant occasions;
  • Provide feedback from and stimulate dialogue among the groups that each member of the IYAFA-ISC represents;
  • Encourage the sharing of information on relevant IYAFA 2022 national/regional/global programs, activities and initiatives;
  • Support the coordination of the activities of IYAFA 2022;
  • Provide guidance and actively collaborate in the mobilization of financial support for the preparation and celebration of IYAFA 2022, and monitor the expenditure of the mobilized budget;
  • Provide advice on main advocacy tools developed for the IYAFA;
  • Provide input for the report to the General Assembly of the UN on the implementation of the IYAFA, as well as a legacy document;
  • Endorse the scope and key messages of IYAFA. 

Membership

The IYAFA-ISC is composed of representatives from each of the 7 FAO Regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East, North America and the Southwest Pacific) and representatives from global non-state actors in fisheries and aquaculture, and representatives from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The IYAFA ISC has up to 24 members, including:  

  • 7 Permanent Representatives (and 4 alternates) from FAO Regional Groups
  • 2 Observers
  • Up to 11 representatives from UN agencies and international organizations

IYAFA ISC Membership list

Africa Member

Lilian Ibengwe

Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development

[email protected]

UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA


United Republic of Tanzania

Alternate for Africa

Diene Ndiaye

Director of Continental Fisheries 

[email protected]

SENEGAL


Senegal

Asia Member

Nona Gae Luna

First Secretary of Permanent Representation of Indonesia to FAO 

[email protected]

INDONESIA


Indonesia

Alternate for Asia

Thanawat Tiensin

Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN Agencies in Rome 

[email protected]

THAILAND


Thailand

Europe Member

Juan Prieto

Permanent Representative of Spain to the FAO 

[email protected]  

SPAIN


Spain

IYAFA Steering Committee/Chairperson

Úrsula Desilú León Chempén

Vice Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture

[email protected]

PERU


Peru

 

Delegate

Maria Carolina Carranza Nunez

Alternate Permanent Representative of Peru to the International Organisations in Rome

[email protected]

PERU

 

Alternate for Latin America and the Caribbean

Guillermo Rodolico

Deputy Permanent Representative of Argentina to the FAO 

[email protected] 

ARGENTINA


Argentina

Observer

Tamara Villanueva

Permanent Representative of Chile to the FAO 

[email protected]

CHILE/ROME-BASED


Chile

Near East Member

Manar Sabah AL-SABAH 

Alternate Permanent Representative of Kuwait to FAO 

[email protected]

KUWAIT


Kuwait

North America Member

Cheri McCarty

Foreign Affairs Specialist 

[email protected]  

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


United States of America

Alternate for North America

William Harris

Junior Policy Analyst at Fisheries and Oceans Canada

[email protected] 

CANADA


Canada

Southwest Pacific Member

Tooreka Teemari 

Director, Fisheries Division, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development

[email protected] 

KIRIBATI


Kiribati

Alternate for the Southwest Pacific

Jenny Reid 

Deputy Permanent Representative to the FAO 

[email protected] 

NEW ZEALAND


New Zealand

Observer

Lynda Hayden 

Deputy Permanent Representative to the FAO 

[email protected]

AUSTRALIA/ROME-BASED


Australia

Non-state ISC Member

Abigail Lynch 

InFish Network 

[email protected]  

Non-state ISC Member

Anne Nuorgam 

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 

[email protected]   

IYAFA Steering Committee / Vice-Chairperson

Edithrudith Lukanga 

IPC Fisheries Working Group 

[email protected]

 

IPC Alternate

Mujibul Haque Munir 

IPC Fisheries Working Group 

[email protected]

 

 

Non-state ISC Member

Melanie Siggs 

Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) 

[email protected]

Non-state ISC Member

Paula Barbeito 

Slow Food   

[email protected]   

Non-state ISC Member 

Edward H. Allison 

World Fish - CGIAR

[email protected] 

Non-state ISC Member

Ratana Chuenpagdee  

Too Big To Ignore research partnership (TBTI) 

[email protected]  

Non-state ISC Member

Richard Abila  

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) 

[email protected] 

IYAFA Steering Committee / Vice-Chairperson

Rohana Subasinghe 

World Aquaculture Society (WAS) 

[email protected]

Non-state ISC Member

Sebastian Mathew 

International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) 

[email protected]