​Fish and seafood are some of the most traded food commodities. In 2017, around 38 per cent of global fish and seafood production was traded internationally generating US$ 152 billion. Over 58 per cent of this trade in volume originates in developing countries where net trade income (exports minus imports) was valued at US$ 37 billion in 2016.

Unfortunately, the unsustainable overexploitation of living aquatic resources during recent decades has led to overfishing and the degradation of fish stocks, habitats, ecosystems and biodiversity. Currently, about one-third of global fish stocks are fished at biologically unsustainable levels, causing an economic loss estimated at US$ 83 billion per year.

New opportunities to address these and other oceans-related concerns have arisen with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in particular Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which seeks to: “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.

At the UN Ocean Conference of June 2017, UNCTAD, FAO and UN Environment jointly deposited a set of voluntary commitments to support member countries with technical assistance, capacity building and information dissemination on the trade-related issues associated with SDG 14.

At the Second United Nations Oceans Forum on Trade-related aspects of SDG 14, July 2018, UNCTAD, FAO and UN Environment were requested by Member States and other stakeholders to prepare a draft joint Plan of Action to accelerate the implementation of SDG 14 through trade.