Part I Marine Living Resources and Marine Biodiversity, 1 The FAO and Ocean Governance

This chapter examines the role of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in ocean governance, not only in the conservation and management of living marine resources but also in other activities impacting fisheries management, such as regulating subsidies, the relationship with trade-related measures and ensuring compliance with fisheries legislation. After providing a background on FAO, including its membership and structure, the chapter discusses two of the organisation’s main functions: as a forum for developing international instruments, norm and standards; and collecting, analysing and disseminating information and statistics to its members. It then considers three concepts or principles either introduced by or detailed through the work of FAO before concluding with an overview of FAO legal and policy instruments.