First Meeting of the Parties to the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (the Agreement) was adopted by the FAO Conference in 2009. The main purpose of the Agreement is to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing through the implementation of robust port State measures. The Agreement envisages that parties, in their capacities as port States, will apply the Agreement in an effective manner to foreign vessels when seeking entry to ports or while they are in port. This meeting will review the status of the Agreement; review the requirements for the implementation of the Agreement; review Port State duties; and discuss the role of flag States and other States as well as the roles of FAO, Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, and other international organizations and bodies in implementation of the Agreement.