UN declaration on rights of peasants and rural people is a landmark, says FAO
The Declaration on the Right of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas will be a landmark and support efforts to end poverty, achieve Zero Hunger, and fulfill the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a whole, said Carla Mucavi, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in New York, during a side-event on 14 November, at the United Nations, on the human rights instrument that is being proposed for adoption by the General Assembly.
“The declaration is a timely and necessary reminder that peasants and rural people have the same rights as all of us, and that more needs to be done so they can realize their rights,”, affirmed Mucavi at the event that also included interventions from the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Ecuador, the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, La Via Campesina and academics.
In her remarks, Mucavi highlighted the importance to recognize the contributions and vulnerabilities of peasants and rural people, as well as the need to incorporate their voices and perspectives in the public policy process. Mucavi stressed the importance to implement the Declaration once it is adopted and added that the UN Decade on Family Farming that begins in 2019 could provide an operational framework to act on some of the issues raised in the document. Today, rural areas concentrate 79 percent of the world’s poor population and rural people lag behind in terms of access to services and to social protection and have generally lower wages.
Opening the event, Ambassador Sacha Sergio Llorenti Soliz, Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the United Nations, remarked that the adoption of the resolution would contribute to guaranteeing the rights of peasants and rural people to a number of necessary services including education, healthcare, access to land, water and seeds, resulting in a better quality of life in rural areas. He thanked FAO for supporting the discussions and recalled that La Via Campesina, an international movement of peasants, initiated the process leading to declaration 17 years ago. Together with other speakers, he also noted the inclusive and transparent drafting process that took place over six years.
Christian Courtis, from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the declaration did not create new rights for peasants but articulated rights that were scattered in other documents. He also pointed out that the declaration would provide guidance on how the Sustainable Development Goals should be met in relation with peasants.
Smita Narula, Haub Distinguished Professor of International Law at Pace University, stated that the declaration was a historic process for the UN and human rights. She highlighted that the declaration makes visible the violation of the rights of peasants and rural workers as well as their contributions to sustainable development, noting that peasants contribute to global food security and the sustainable use of biodiversity as they help produce the majority of the world’s food using only around one-fourth of the land.
Representatives from La Via Campesina welcomed the engagement of States in the process and stressed the importance of the declaration. Diego Montón of La Via Campesina Argentina said that the declaration would support peasants in their fight against hunger and for sustainable development. Ramona Dominiciu of La Via Campesina Romania explained how peasants was affected by poverty and how they were being marginalized.
Ambassador Luis Gallegos Chiriboga, Permanent Representative of the Mission of Ecuador, closed the event noting that the resolution will be adopted by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly and thanking FAO, La Via Campesina and Member States for supporting the process. He pointed out that the Declaration recognizes women and children in rural rights and reminds States to protect Peasants while guaranteeing food production in rural and urban areas.
Statement by Carla Mucavi, Director of FAO Liaison Office to the United Nations