FAO participates in the RPOA-IUU workshop on flag State responsibility and the FAO High Seas Compliance Agreement
An expert from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) participated in the RPOA-IUU Workshop on Flag State Responsibility and the FAO High Seas Compliance Agreement. The workshop organised and hosted by the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Sea (ANCORS), was held from 6-8 October 2025 at the ANCORS Southeast Asia Maritime Institute, University of Wollongong, Malaysia.
The workshop’s aim was that participants would gain a comprehensive understanding of the importance of, and requirements for the effective implementation of flag State responsibility and the FAO High Sea Compliance Agreement and other relevant instruments such as the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Flag State Performance that guide improved flag State performance.
Deliberations included the legal and operational obligations and measures required of flag States under these instruments to deter, prevent and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and contribute to sustainable conservation and management fisheries and marine resource.
The Workshop was delivered by ANCORS in collaboration with RPOA-IUU, FAO, IMCS Network and SEAFDEC, and brought together participants from Thailand, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste. The event was supported by the Australian Government’s programme on Combatting IUU Fishing and Promoting Sustainable Fisheries in Southeast Asia.