«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
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 52nd session (27 February – 4 April 2023) CETIM and the Confédération Paysanne are concerned about the increasing construction of mega-basins in France, water storage facilities for industrial agricultural irrigation that flout farmers’ right to water. Thanks to 70% public funding, these huge structures benefit a minority of farmers who steal water […]
Continue readingHUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 52nd session The systemic violence that manifests itself in today’s agri-food systems mainly affects already vulnerable and marginalized populations, such as peasants and others working in rural areas. This violence and inequity inherent in the dominant system are by no means inevitable; they are the result of the imposition of a very […]
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On January 27, 2023, the human rights situation in Switzerland was examined in the framework of its Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a UN mechanism for monitoring the rights situation in all UN member countries. In this context, our coalition “Friends of the Declaration – Switzerland” (FOD), has examined the measures that Switzerland should take to […]
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PRESS RELEASE Lima, Geneva, Brussels, 9th of February 2023 – The National Federation of Peasant, Artisan, Indigenous, Native and Salaried Women of Peru (FENMUCARINAP), as a member organisation of La Via Campesina, the CETIM and the Whipalas Network, in collaboration with the Swiss Peruvian organization “Quinto Suyo” and the Peru Solidarity Collective – Belgium, submitted […]
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CETIM and its partners Red Wiphalas / Wiphalas Network Grève féministe – Genève accompanied Lourdes Huanca, funder and president of the National Federation of Peasant, Artisan, Indigenous, Native and Worker Women (Fenmucarinap PERÚ), during her visit to Switzerland.
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