In 2017, the 72nd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) proclaimed 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022), with the FAO serving as the lead UN agency.

The objectives of IYAFA 2022 are as follows:

• Enhance global awareness about, understanding of, and action to support the contribution of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture to sustainable development, and more specifically in relation to food security and nutrition, poverty eradication and the use of natural resources).
• Promote dialogue and collaboration between and among small-scale artisanal fishers, fishfarmers, fish workers, governments, and other key partners along the value chain, as well as to further strengthen their capacity to enhance sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture.

The oversight and management of IYAFA 2022 is coordinated by two bodies: the FAO IYAFA Secretariate and the IYAFA International Steering Committee (IYAFA ISC), composed of representatives of FAO Member States, UN organizations, civil society organizations and non-governmental organisations from different regions across the globe. The full list of members and representatives from the IYAFA ISC can be found here.