13th October
The partners of the project Rights-based and Agroecological Initiatives for Sustainability
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.
