GFCM recommendations are binding legal instruments which must be transposed by Contracting Parties and cooperating non-Contracting Parties into their national legislation. Other instruments adopted by the GFCM – such as resolutions, roadmaps or methodologies – may also require national legislative action to become operational. Ensuring that its recommendations and instruments are transposed effectively into national legislation is central to achieving the objectives of the GFCM. It is also crucial to ensure that, once transposed, national legislation remains up to date and accessible to a wide array of users in order to facilitate the identification of gaps and the sharing of best practices across the region.