Victory! UN Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution to Advance Peasants' Rights
An overwhelming majority of member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council have taken a historic step by voting in favor of a resolution aimed at further implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and All People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP).
This momentous decision sets the stage for the establishment of a UN Working Group focused on the effective implementation of UNDROP. Comprising five independent experts with balanced geographical representation, this group will operate for a three-year term.
The final vote on Wednesday evening reflected a relentless global effort to promote and uphold the rights of peasants, agricultural workers, fishers, pastoralists, forest-dependent people, nomadic people, Indigenous Peoples, rural women, and all rural communities. With overwhelming support, including 38 votes in favor, 2 against, and 7 abstentions, the UN Human Rights Council has opened a promising new chapter in the struggle for the rights of peasants and all rural communities worldwide.
Notably, this development has received substantial support from most countries representing all continents. Through their vote they expressed that UNDROP is a key instrument to address the multiple crises faced by peasants and rural workers in today's world.
Morgan Ody, General Coordinator of La Via Campesina, expressed gratitude to the Plurinational State of Bolivia for its leading role in shepherding this resolution to adoption.
"As a global peasants' movement, we remain committed to working closely with states, UN bodies and mechanisms, and civil society to ensure that we effect positive change through the promotion and protection of our rights," said Morgan.
The creation of a UN special procedure, in the form of a UN Working Group, is a pivotal milestone in elevating UNDROP's global prominence. This group will be instrumental in facilitating the UNDROP's implementation, identifying and promoting best practices and lessons learned, and fostering collaboration and technical capacity-building in the pursuit of these goals.
"It's high time for UNDROP to be promoted on the international stage. This UN Working Group will play a centra role in achieving our goals," added La Via Campesina's Zainal Arifin Fuat.
For La Via Campesina and its allies, CETIM and FIAN International, the work of the UN Working Group on UNDROP signifies a critical step toward reshaping existing systems. This shift aims to transition from destructive, profit-driven models to people-centered systems that harmonize with Mother Earth. UNDROP is an important instrument which sets the foundation on which we can build better public policies for food sovereignty, agroecology, climate justice and agrarian reform, and to protect against criminalisation of struggles.
This collective endeavor seeks to build better and socially just societies, focusing on the well-being and dignity of all, particularly those in rural and agricultural areas.
For more information or media interviews please contact Tom Sullivan, FIAN International Communications and Campaigns: sullivan@fian.org
