«Il n‘y a pas un monde développé et un monde sous-développé, mais un seul monde mal développé»
At the global level, there are currently some 1.2 billion peasants and together with their families they represent one third of humanity. In absolute terms, there are more peasants today than ever before in history.
Peasants and other rural workers are key to food sovereignty and the realization of the right to food, in particular in developing countries where they provide up to 80% of the food consumed at the local level.
Peasants play a key role in the fight against climate change and the conservation of biodiversity
Yet peasants and other people working in rural areas are among the most vulnerable and discriminated-against group. They are victims of multiple violations of their human rights and suffer disproportionately from hunger and poverty. 80% of those victims of hunger in the world live and work in rural areas.
The CETIM works for several years in favor of the rights of peasants. lt provides its support to organizations representing peasants and other rural workers in the Global South for the access to the UN human rights protection mechanisms. The CETIM is also strongly involved to their sides in the campaign for the adoption of a United Nations Declaration on the rights of peasants and oher people working in rural areas, offering its support so that they are able to participate in the negotiations and present their proposals.
A Declaration on the Rights of Peasants
On 17 December 2018, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Others Working in Rural Areas. Alongside La Via Campesina, CETIM was strongly involved in the process that led to the adoption of this indispensable tool. In particular, it offered its support to peasants to enable them to participate in the negotiations and to make their proposals heard.
The adoption of the Declaration is a historic moment. It is the result of a 17-year struggle for the recognition of the rights of this particularly vulnerable population. If respected and implemented, this instrument will be useful, not only for peasants, but for humanity as a whole.
One year after the adoption of this indispensable tool, a joint declaration was signed by nine special rapporteurs and experts and four members of the UN treaty bodies. This document stresses that farmers must participate “in all decision-making processes that affect their lives, lands, resources and livelihoods” and repeatedly urges states to play a key role in implementing the Declaration.
In October 2023, the United Nations Human Rights Council, with an overwhelming majority of Member States in favour, took another historic step. It voted in favour of Resolution 54/9 to create a follow-up mechanism to the Declaration. A Working Group of experts is now responsible for promoting and implementing the Declaration.
Download for free the e-book edited by CETIM “The UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants“
Protect Peasants’ Rights Campaign
Access to justice for peasants
Training sheets on peasants’ rights
The 30th of June 2022, in the framework of the 50th session of the Human Rights Council, an important side-event on the issue of peasants’ rights took place at Villa Moynier, a historic villa in the hearth of Geneva, today the siege of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
Continue readingHUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 50th session Civilians in North and East of Syria are suffering from long war impacts and human rights violations in the context of situations of military occupation, which are mainly the result of a proxy war in the form of foreign armed presence. Read the CETIM’s oral statement
Continue readingHUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 50th session July 2022 [Excerpt from the declaration] FIAN International, CETIM and La Via Campesina have addressed the Special Rapporteur on Climate Change to highlight the essential role that farmers and others working in rural areas play in feeding the world in a way that is less damaging to the climate than […]
Continue readingAs an association acting as an interface between partner organisations and the UN international system, CETIM has continued to make use of the UN’s mechanisms for the protection of human rights in relation to different situations and specific violations. Here are some extracts. Repression, racism et rights violations of indigenous communities in Bogotá CETIM and […]
Continue readingOn the occasion of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference an international demonstration was held on 11 June in Geneva to denounce the neoliberal policies impacting the peasantry worldwide. A delegation of more than 30 representatives of La Via Campesina from all over the world, accompanied by CETIM, also went to the UN to continue the […]
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