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The general objective of the Commission is to promote the effective conservation, management and development of the living marine resources of the area of competence of the Commission, in accordance with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and address common problems of fisheries management and development faced by members of the Commission. 

The work of the Commission is guided by the following three principles: 

• promote the application of the provisions of the FAO Code of Conduct on Responsible Fisheries and its related instruments, including the precautionary approach and the ecosystem approach to fisheries management; 
• ensure adequate attention to small-scale, artisanal and subsistence fisheries; and 
• coordinate and cooperate closely with other relevant international organizations on matters of common interest.