The members of the Sustainable Seafood Coalition are inviting organisations to tender for the role of SSC Secretariat. The deadline for tenders is 30th November 2022.
ClientEarth has provided Secretarial services to the Sustainable Seafood Coalition since the platform was founded in 2011. It guided SSC members through the processes of writing its Codes of Conduct, hosting 60 formal members’ meetings, growing its membership to 50 organisations and carrying out two Implementation Reports to review the efficacy of the SSC model. In line with a review of its strategic priorities carried out in 2022, ClientEarth will no longer provide these services (for a fuller explanation of this decision, see below).
As part of a discussion on the future governance and coordination of the SSC, members have voted to open a public invitation to tender process to identify a new Secretariat.
Responsibilities of the Secretariat
The SSC Secretariat is responsible for day-to-day coordination of the coalition, as well as fulfilment of the Strategic Plan. For a fuller overview of the role of the Secretariat, see the Invitation to Tender.
Explanation of ClientEarth’s decision to end provision of Secretarial services
Following a review of its strategic priorities carried out in 2022, ClientEarth has adopted a new strategic framework that will be implemented over the course of 2023. As part of this framework, the organisation will focus its resources on activities more firmly grounded in legal duties rather than voluntary market engagement initiatives. The SSC project was always intended to initiate proactive, industry-led ownership of the environmental challenges in seafood supply chains, and ClientEarth believes it no longer has a role in guiding this ownership. ClientEarth is supportive of the progress which has been achieved by the SSC since it was founded in 2011. ClientEarth is facilitating a transition to a new Secretariat as determined by the SSC’s members to minimise disruption and give the coalition’s work the strongest possible chances of a strong and impactful legacy. ClientEarth will continue to be a stakeholder in securing sustainable food systems.
If your organisation would like to tender for the role of SSC Secretariat, please follow the instructions in the invitation and submit your response by 2pm on Wednesday 30th November. Please consider passing this on to others who might be interested: Invitation to Tender.
