13th October
The partners of the project Rights-based and Agroecological Initiatives for Sustainabilit and Equity in Peasant Communities (RAISE), supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), welcome the creation of an international monitoring mechanism on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas – namely a UN special procedure in the form of a working group – by the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC).
This working group will be responsible for the promotion and implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), adopted by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) back in 2018. It will identify and promote best practices and lessons learned, foster collaboration and technical capacity-building in the pursuit of UNDROP’s implementation, undertake country visits, and send communications to states and other stakeholders in case of violations of the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas.
The creation of this international mechanism marks a significant step forward in addressing an issue that is of paramount importance not only for peasants but also for our future: peasants and their organizations now have a platform to shed light on the violations they face and draw attention to the numerous obstacles they confront in the pursuit of their rights. This mechanism represents therefore a pivotal political and legal tool for advancing the realization of the rights enshrined in UNDROP.
The creation of this working group also demonstrates the growing international recognition of the important role that family farming plays in food production, preserving biodiversity and protecting the environment. During the whole negotiations, peasants’ organizations – led by La Via Campesina – played a crucial role in this breakthrough, supported by RAISE project partners.
The Working Group will be made up of five independent experts from different continents and will be operational in Spring 2024. RAISE will work closely with this new mechanism to ensure its success and will also continue to closely monitor the situation of peasants’ rights around the world.
Read more in the document below.
