«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
This newsletter reviews two important victories at the Human Rights Council in June with the renewal of the mandate of the intergovernmental working group on the rights of peasants and the creation of a new intergovernmental working group to develop an international binding instrument on transnational corporations and human rights. The written statement submitted by […]
Continue readingVictory 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 […]
Continue readingHUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 22nd Session March 2013 [Excerpt of the declaration] The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), the Europe – Third World Centre (CETIM), the American Association of Jurists and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) welcome the report of the International Fact-Finding Mission investigating the impact of the Israeli settlements on the […]
Continue readingINTERGOVERNMENTAL WORKING GROUP ON THE RIGHTS OF PEASANTS 1st session 15-19 July 2013 [Excerpt from the declaration] Famine and malnutrition in the world are on the increase and we have known for several years that the Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved by 2015. Worse still, 80% of the nearly one billion people suffering […]
Continue readingThe property and the distribution of the land have always been major stumbling blocks in Guatemala. They have been the source of many violent conflicts and they have structured the social and ethnical power relations and determined the economic and class stratification in the country. This is consequently reflected in the situation of indigenous daily farm workers, which make up 69% of this agricultural workforce, and of which 74.8% live in poverty. Their working conditions sometimes resemble slavery: the working contracts are oral, days count between 9 and 12 working hours and usually there is little or no right to holidays or weekly rest days. Social security is non existent and death threats are reported for workers who organize themselves in trade unions. The state of Guatemala should take measures to comply with its obligations under the terms of numerous international conventions.
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