How will the UN Declaration contribute to the human rights of peasants?

The CETIM, the Permanent Mission of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, La Vía Campesina, FIAN International and Bread for All organized a parallel conference during the 37th session of the Human Rights Council.

The title is: Towards the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Others Working in Rural Areas: How to make the added value of this key instrument a reality for all.

The speakers who took the floor:

Mr. Fernando Rosales
Minister Counsellor, Chargé d’affaires a.i., Permanent Mission of the Plurinational State of Bolivia

Mr. Ndiakhate Fall
Conseil national du dialogue et de la coopération rurale (CNCR) / La Vía Campesina, Senegal

Ms. Ramona Doiminiciou
Ecoruralis / La Vía Campesina, Romania

Mr. Henry Saragih
Indonesian Peasant Union / La Vía Campesina, Indonesia

Mr. Huber Ballesteros
FENSUAGRO / La Vía Campesina, Colombia

Moderation was provided by Melik Özden, Director of the CETIM.

Here is a summary of the discussions: there are about 1.2 billion farmers in the world. Together with their families, they represent one third of humanity. Farmers and others working in rural areas are key actors in food sovereignty, in the realization of the right to food. They also play a key role in combating climate change and conserving biodiversity. At the same time, they represent about 2/3 of the people who suffer from hunger and poverty.

The deterioration of the living conditions of peasants – particularly in the face of the current global economic, political and environmental crisis – the resulting rural exodus to cities and the global need to feed a growing population are all elements that make the adoption of an international legal instrument on the rights of peasants and others working in rural areas a vital necessity, not only for peasants themselves but also for humanity as a whole.

During this event, speakers will address fundamental questions: how will this UN Declaration contribute to strengthening the human rights of peasants and how will it benefit the non-rural population? How can and will farmers’ movements advocate for a rapid and effective implementation of this future instrument? By what methods and in what ways can States and important public authorities integrate the content of the United Nations Declaration into the national legal framework in order to ensure the integral protection of its own peasant population?