«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.
A historic victory
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.
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:
A fundamental instrument
In September 2012, the Human Rights Council adopted by vote (23 Yes, 9 No and 15 Abs) a resolution (21/19) presented by Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, and South Africa establishing an intergovernmental working group to develop and adopt a Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas.
The decision of the Human Rights Council was the result of a long and joint effort by the CETIM, La Vía Campesina and FIAN International.
The 17th December 2018, the 73 Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 73) in New York adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. Now that the Declaration is an international legal instrument, CETIM, La Via Campesina (LVC) and its allies will mobilise to support regional and national implementation processes.
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.
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants is an international legal instrument. It can change the lives of millions of peasants around the world. This is why CETIM, La Vía Campesina and its allies are now mobilising to support the implementation processes. And this, both at regional and national levels.
UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants
Between the 9th and 13th of November, a delegation of La Vía Campesina leaders was in Geneva to support the Declaration on the rights of peasants which is being drafted in the Human Rights Council. The leaders participated in an informal consultation meeting and highlighted some of the key elements of the draft Declaration, in […] Mr Chairman, The CETIM and the FIMARC (Fédération Internationale des Mouvements d’Adultes Ruraux Catholiques) would first like to pay tribute to Mr Olivier de Schutter for his contributions to the implementation of the right to food. During the six years of his mandate, Mr de Schutter has studied various aspects of the right to food, […] Mr Chairman, Famine and malnutrition continue to affect nearly a billion persons throughout the world, 80% of whom live in rural areas and most of whom are food producers such as small family peasants. These peasants are confronted, and without any protection, not only with globalized market rules and commodity speculation in food but also […] Victory for the rights of peasants at the UN: the Human Rights Council renews the mandate of the intergovernmental working group in charge of developing a UN Declaration on the rights of peasants! The Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution allowing the continuation of the process toward the adoption of a UN Declaration on […] Madame Chair, Famine and malnutrition continue to gain ground throughout the world, and we have known for several years that the Millennium Development Goals will not be reached in 2015. Worse, 80% of more than a billion persons suffering from hunger and malnutrition live in rural areas and are food producers, as both the Advisory […]
La Vía Campesina leaders in Geneva to support the Declaration on the rights of peasants
Right to food
Rights of peasants: the work must continue!
Increasing support in favor of the Declaration on the rights of peasants
Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas
