WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretary General Martin Chungong have jointly called on national parliaments to ratify the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This landmark agreement is the first WTO accord to focus on environmental sustainability.
So far, 99 WTO members have ratified the Agreement. Only 12 more acceptances are needed for it to officially enter into force.
Adopted at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022, the Agreement aims to eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies. These include:
- Subsidies that promote illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing
- Subsidies contributing to overfished stocks
- Subsidies encouraging unregulated fishing on the high seas
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala emphasized the urgency of the situation:
“We are on the verge of a major milestone. This is not only about saving fish stocks — it’s about protecting livelihoods and food security.”
She urged parliaments to act quickly: “It would be wonderful if we can get this done in time for next month’s 2025 United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France.”
Parliaments: The Bridge Between Global and Local
IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong said parliaments play a vital role: “By ratifying this Agreement, they can restore marine ecosystems, support local jobs, and show that multilateralism delivers.”
He added that swift ratification is key to building momentum ahead of global environmental discussions.
The Agreement is especially important for small, vulnerable economies (SVEs) and least-developed countries (LDCs). These communities often rely on marine resources for:
- Food security
- Employment
- Economic resilience
Many of these nations have already ratified the Agreement. Even landlocked countries support it because of its link to global food security.
Once the Agreement enters into force, the WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism (Fish Fund) will become active. It will:
- Provide technical assistance
- Offer capacity-building
- Support developing countries in implementing the Agreement
Continuing Support from WTO and IPU
The WTO Secretariat and IPU remain committed to:
- Working with parliaments
- Offering technical briefings
- Providing outreach activities
- Giving targeted support to help ratify and implement the Agreement
This Agreement represents a rare multilateral success during challenging geopolitical times. A prompt ratification would send a clear global message: the world is serious about sustainable ocean governance and delivering on Sustainable Development Goal 14.6.
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