India has been elected to lead a "crucial" UN fisheries commission, the Indian Embassy in Italy said on Friday.
According to the statement, Delhi was named to serve as the first vice chair of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Committee on Fisheries (FAO COFI) Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management.
"India's role in this crucial subcommittee as the representative of the Global South would give much-needed balance and perspective to the global narratives concerning fisheries governance and management (especially for artisanal and small-scale fisheries) as one of the top fishing nations with over 28 million inland and marine fishers."
It also stated that India would be joining the FAO Fisheries Bureau on Capture Fisheries for the first time in 57 years.
The Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management provides a forum for national, regional, and international discussion on fishery management issues.
The FAO addresses technical and policy issues and actively works with pertinent national, regional, and international institutions, as well as stakeholder groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), establishing new partnerships as needed.
The Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management's main duties are to advance the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries by offering crucial policy and technical recommendations on fisheries governance and management.
In addition, it highlights important worldwide trends and challenges in sustainable development and fisheries management that call for immediate action and provides direction and suggestions for resolving them.