«Il n‘y a pas un monde développé et un monde sous-développé, mais un seul monde mal développé»
Peasants are key to food security, the fight against climate change and the conservation of biodiversity security. Yet their rights are systemically violated and they are subject to multiple discrimination.
80% of the people that suffer from hunger and extreme poverty live in rural areas and most of them are peasants
Each day peasant farms disappear because of the lack of remunerative prices or access to productive resources, and peasants are evicted from their lands or killed when they defend their rights.
CETIM is committed to a better protection and promotion of the rights of peasants alongside La Vía Campesina. The international peasant movement brings together more than 164 organisations in 73 countries. It represents about 200 million peasants. FIAN International is also a long-standing partner in this vital fight. The first victory came in 2012. A majority of the Member States of the Human Rights Council voted in favour of the resolution “Promotion and protection of the human rights of peasants and other people living in rural areas” (21/19). This resolution was presented by Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador and South Africa. It establishes an intergovernmental working group. This new body is tasked with drafting and adopting a Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas.
A historic victory
After more than 17 years of struggle, CETIM and its partners see their efforts rewarded. A new international instrument was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2018. It is the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants.
This legal instrument now makes it possible to:
The final vote represents the culmination of a historic process for rural communities. With 122 votes in favour, 8 votes against and 54 abstentions, the forum of UNGA representing 193 Member States, ushered in a new promising chapter in the struggle for the rights of peasants and other rural communities throughout the world.
This Declaration is an international legal instrument that can change the lives of millions of peasants around the world. This is why the CETIM, La Via Campesina and its allies are mobilising to support the implementation processes. And this at the international, regional and national levels.
In October 2023, the United Nations Human Rights Council, with an overwhelming majority of member states in favour, took a historic step by voting in favour of Resolution 54/9 to create a follow-up mechanism to the Declaration, in the form of a new UN Special Procedure: a Working Group of experts is now mandated to work on the promotion and implementation of the UNDROP.
For more information on the Declaration and the struggle for peasants’ rights:
Visit our website Defending Peasants’ rightsTS’ RIGHTS. Platform of rural struggles in action!
Read our didactic training sheets
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 57th session (9 September 2024 – 11 October 2024) UNDROP: a key step towards social and climate justice At the occasion of the presentation of the first report of the newly appointed UN Experts’ Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, CETIM, FIAN International and […] In October 2023, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution setting up a new UN special procedure on the rights of peasants. This is yet another historic achievement for the international peasant movement and for peasant farmers around the world. The task of the new Working Group will be to ensure the implementation and promotion […] For the International Day of Peasant’s Struggles on April 17, Defending Peasants’ Rights and La Via Campesina held a webinar on the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on UNDROP, with three of its experts: Shalmali Guttal, Carlos Duarte and Geneviève Savigny. Watch video At the occasion of the election of the experts for the UN Working Group on UNDROP, Fian International, CETIM and La Via Campesina published a new fact sheet on the Working Group. The document explains why it was so impertive to have a Working Group installed. It also details what are the prerogatives of the […] PRESS RELEASE – La Via Campesina, CETIM, FIAN International Bagnolet, Geneva. In October 2023, during its 54th session, the UN Human Rights Council adopted resolution 54/9, establishing a new Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas, comprising five experts from the five UN regions.
Contribution to the new Working Group on peasants’ rights
UN: Establishment of the Working Group on Peasants’ Rights
Video webinar “The next chapter in the struggle for UNDROP: learning about the new UN Working Group”
Fact sheet on the UN Working Group on UNDROP
UN Human Rights Council appoints the members of the Working Group on Peasants’ Rights
