Peasants, fisherpeople, pastoralists, herders, Indigenous peoples, rural workers and rural peoples are central actors in transforming food systems and building pathways toward global food sovereignty. Safeguarding their rights is therefore key for the future of humanity and a sustainable planet.

A fundamental tool to protect their rights is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas – UNDROP. It provides a robust framework to guide public policies, laws, and programmes that uphold rural peoples’ dignity, livelihoods, and futures.

The Defending Peasants’ Rights is a global platform for rural organisations and constituencies to share knowledge, amplify struggles, and build collective power for the implementation of their rights worldwide.

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Held in the context of the UN Working Group’s latest report, which focuses specifically on rural peoples’ right to participation, the discussion explored how this right—far from being a procedural formality—constitutes a cornerstone of democratic governance and a central pillar of rural peoples’ civil and political rights. The webinar created a space for exchange between grassroots actors and international human rights mechanisms, strengthening bridges between local struggles and global advocacy.

The webinar placed the findings of the UN Working Group’s report at the centre of the discussion, examining:

• The democratic and political significance of participation under UNDROP
• Barriers that prevent rural communities from influencing public decision-making
• The Working Group’s recommendations to States
• Practical strategies and good practices that enhance meaningful participation
• The role of collective advocacy and solidarity in advancing implementation

Panellists:

• Carlos Duarte, Current Chair of the UN Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas
• Loupa Pius, World Alliance of Mobile Indigenous People (WAMIP)
• Modesta Arevalos Ortiz, International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movements (FIMARC)
• Jones Spartegus, World Forum of Fisher People (WFFP)
• Norah Mlondobozi, Rural Women Assembly (RWA)
• Saúl Vicente, Unidad de la Fuerza Indígena y Campesina (UFIC – Mexico)
• Paula Gioia, La Via Campesina (LVC)

Through their interventions, the panellists shared regional experiences, community perspectives, and movement strategies for strengthening participation at local, national and international levels.

We invite you to watch the recording and engage with this important dialogue as part of the broader collective effort to ensure that those who feed the world and protect its ecosystems are fully included in shaping the policies and decisions that determine their future.

Webinar held on 10 December 2025.

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The webinar was honoured by the distinguished presence of Ms. Shalmali Guttal, member of the UN Working Group on the UNDROP, who provided not only an overview but also an interpretation of the Working Group’s understanding of Article 1 of the declaration, which defines its rights holders.

Moreover, a plurality of rural constituencies – represented through their global movements/organizations – participated in the rights holders’ panel, bringing their struggles into perspective in relation to our shared efforts to implement the rural peoples’ rights enshrined in the UNDROP at both international and national levels. The following movements and organisations provided valuable inputs in this important meeting of UNDROP’s rights holders:

• World Alliance of Mobile Indigenous People (WAMIP)
• International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movements (FIMARC)
• World Forum of Fisher People (WFFP)
• International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF)
• Rural Women Assembly (RWA)
• La Via Campesina (LVC)
• Sea Nomads Contact Group

Webinar Structure [with video timings]:

Introduction [Beginning – 15m16s] : Defending Peasants Rights and FIAN International

Understanding UNDROP’s Article 1 [15m16s – 30m06s] : Ms. Shalmali Guttal – UN Working Group on the UNDROP

Roundtable of UNDROP’s right holders [30m06s – 01h42m] : Moderation by CETIM; Speakers: Fernando García-Dory – WAMIP; Modesta Arevalo – FIMARC; Jones Thomas – WFFP; Sue Longley – IUF; Norah Mlondobozi – RWA; David Otieno – LVC; Henri Simarmata – Sea Nomads Contact Group

Final remarks [01h42m – End] : Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

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The UNDROP Working Group was created by a resolution of the Human Rights Council in October 2023, and the experts were elected at the following session of the Council in April 2024. The aim of the webinar was to make this new tool in the fight for the implementation of UNDROP accessible to all rights holders, as well as to all those defending the rights of peasants. You can find here a fact sheet explaining the role of the Working Group.

Webinar program

The webinar was organized in three parts: an explanatory introduction to the Working Group, a long discussion with the three Group experts present, and an opening on the prospects offered by the Working Group for La Via Campesina.

The explanatory introduction was led first by Raffaele Morgantini from Cetim, he went back over the creation of the Working Group and the reasons why La Via Campesina worked to have it created as soon as UNDROP was adopted in 2018. Sibylle Dirren from Fian International then took the floor to present the functioning, role and prerogatives of the Working Group.

Christophe Golay of the Geneva Academy moderated the discussion with the three Working Group experts: Shalmali Guttal, Carlos Duarte and Geneviève Savigny. After asking each of them to introduce themselves, he asked them how they saw their role in promoting and defending UNDROP in the current context of agriculture controlled by aggressive agribusiness, how they saw the Working Group’s relations with rights holders, and what obstacles and solutions they perceived. The three experts expressed their determination to use all the means at the Working Group’s disposal to work with and for peasants and rural communities, and to combat violations of their rights.

Zainal Arafin Fuad of SPI Indonesia explained on behalf of La Via Campesina how the Working Group integrates with La Via Campesina’s actions to defend and implement peasants’ rights. Coline Hubert, editor of Defending Peasants’ Rights, then took the floor to explain how the creation of the Working Group opens up new perspectives for the site.

Finally, a video by Morgan Ody concluded the webinar. In the video, she hails the creation of the Working Group as a victory for the implementation of UNDROP, and calls on everyone to take hold of the rights contained in the Declaration.

Video of the webinar

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Situation des paysan.nes en Europe, Interview par le CETIM de Vincent Delobel, paysan belge

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You can activate the English subtitles directly in the youtube video settings.

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In this video La Via Campesina explains what is Food Sovereignty for them. Food Sovereignty is at the center of the actions and struggles of La Via Campesina. They have fought, and won, to have Food Sovereignty recognized in UNDROP as a right (art. 15).

We, La Via Campesina, are an international peasants’ movement who have come together with other allies from around the world to strengthen a global effort toward Food sovereignty. Our global movement brings together millions of peasants and small scale food producers comprising landless people, Indigenous Peoples, rural women and youth, migrants, pastoralists and other people working in rural areas worldwide.

As small-scale food producers, we feed 70% of the global population and are the custodians of ancestral wisdom handed down over thousands of generations. We hold the key to producing healthy and nutritious food in complete harmony with Mother Earth, at a time when it is threatened by neo-liberal capitalism that has spread hunger, conflict and global ecological destruction. That is why we have come together, to defend our diverse ways of life that exist in our rural areas, and protect our people’s food sovereignty.

What is food sovereignty ?

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For the International day of Peasants’ Struggles, La Via Campesina and Defending Peasants’ Rights organized a webinar on the uses of UNDROP in peasant’s struggles since its adoption. La Via Campesina members around the world are using UNDROP in their struggles, the aim of the webinar was to present these examples to inspire others. To this end, eight peasants presented how their movements incorporate UNDROP in their struggles. You will find videos of each of these presentations below.

Zainal Arafin Fuad – SPI – Indonesia

Zainal Arafin Fuad is a member of the Indonesian peasant union Serikat Petani Indonesia. He is also a member of La Via Campesina’s International Coordinating Committee. Zainal took part in a large part of the negotiations for the Declaration. In this video, he presents the progress made in Indonesia since the adoption of UNDROP, in particular the launch of food sovereignty zones by his union.

Nury Martinez – FENSUAGRO – Colombia

Nury Martinez is a member of the Federación Nacional Sindical Unitaria Agropecuaria. In her presentation, she looks back at the process of integrating peasants as subjects of rights in the Colombian Constitution.

Jessie MacInnis – National Farmers Union of Canada – Canada

Jessie MacInnis is Youth President of the National Farmers Union of Canada. She is also a member of La Via Campesina’s youth group. In her talk, she explains a Canadian court ruling based, among other things, on UNDROP.

David Cidi Otieno – Kenyan Peasants League – Kenya

David Cidi Otieno is national convenor of the Kenyan Peasants League. In his talk, he describes, among other things, his organization’s fight to maintain Kenya’s ban on GMOs, and how UNDROP is used in this context.

Hortense Kinkodila – CNOP-Congo – Congo

Hortense Kinkodilla is a member of Coordination Nationale des Organisations Paysannes et des Producteurs Agricoles. She tells us about the initiatives taken by her organization to transmit the Declaration to the peasants of the Congo and their participation in the negotiations on the next Agricultural Orientation Law.

Ramona Dominiciou – Ecoruralis – Roumania

Ramona Dominiciou is a member of the Ecoruralis organization. She took part in the negotiations for UNDROP at the UN Human Rights Council and at European level. In her speech, she recalls the peasants struggles in several Eastern European countries: Romania, Moldavia and Ukraine. She also reviews the concerted efforts of peasants in this region at the FAO.

Pramesh Pokharel – All Nepal Peasant’s Federation – Nepal

Pramesh Pokharel is President of the All Nepal Peasant’s Federation of Nepal. He is also a member of La Via Campesina’s Youth International Coordination Committee. He tells us about the progress made for peasants’ rights in Nepal and the ongoing struggle for the approval of a law protecting peasants’ rights, obtained after three years of negotiations in committee.

Alberto Silva – Uniterre – Switzerland

Alberto Silva is a member of the farmers’ union Uniterre. He tells us about the creation of the coalition Friends of the Declaration in Switzerland and the work this coalition of organizations is doing to implement the Declaration.

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A side-event to the 52 session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, titled “Respecting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of peasants and other rural workers – A clever move in times of multiple crises” was held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva on 15 March 2023. The side-event was co-organized by the Permanent Missions of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Honduras, Cuba, South Africa, Luxembourg, South Centre, La Via Campesina, Centre Europe – Tiers Monde (CETIM), FIAN International and the Geneva Academy of international humanitarian law and human rights; with the support of some other partners.

The objective of the side event was to raise awareness about the contributions of peasants and other people working in rural areas to face the ongoing multiple crises, and discuss measures that can be adopted at national and regional level with the aim of respecting, protecting and fulfilling peasants’ rights. It also sought to encourage greater collaboration towards the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other people working in rural areas (UNDROP), and highlight the initiative to create a new UN Special Procedure on the matter.

Raffaele Morgantini from CETIM welcomed the participants to the side-event and underscored the important role that peasants and rural communities had played in the adoption of UNDROP in 2018, which was particularly promoted by La Via Campesina. The UNDROP was supported by many developing countries, but Portugal and Luxembourg were the only countries from the European Union who also supported the adoption of the Declaration in 2018. The implementation of the Declaration at national and international levels could contribute to face the current multiple crises. The rise of ecological, social crises, concentration of capital and power, health crises are fuelling anti-democratic systems and impacting the lives of peasants and rural workers, especially in developing countries. UNDROP provides possible solutions to these issues, including through developing a common roadmap for fair, sustainable agro-ecological systems.

H.E. Freddy Mamani, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, spoke via video message, stressing the structural view to issues such as the global food crises which has led to 190 million people facing acute food insecurity, with risk of increasing famines. The global economic system based on extractivism has led to increased global hunger. With growing power of large transnational corporations, rights of peasants such as access to land, seeds and water are being limited. Unjust structural conditions are reinforcing power and capital accumulation, while violence and the structural inequality maintaining unjust circles are leading to widespread human rights violations. There is a need to include vulnerable peoples and close gaps in human rights protections, especially in rural areas. Ensuring access to seeds, land, technology is essential to achieving the aims of climate justice. UNDROP is an outcome of inclusive negotiations, incorporating global peasant movements whose efforts and importance need to be recognized. Now there is the need to move forward with the implementation of UNDROP, which can support the fight against poverty and discrimination. Peasants cannot be left behind in recovery and sustainable development. The Vice-Minister concluded by calling on countries to work towards socialization and implementation of UNDROP.

Marcela Arias from the Mission of Honduras then spoke about how the multiple social and economic crises, as well as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased poverty. Climate change is making matters worse for many rural communities, which were already suffering. Honduras has a large number of peasants, and the government has been taking measures to reduce their land tenure vulnerability and revert past human rights violations. There are also structural measures being implemented to increase food sovereignty, which involve giving more rights and dignity to peasants. She expressed the commitment of Honduras to working together for realizing human rights for all, including the right to development, economic, social and cultural rights, and helping effectively address the mandate of implementing the UNDROP.

Dr. Carlos Correa, Executive Director at the South Centre, spoke about the work of the South Centre in supporting the UNDROP and its implementation. Dr. Correa expressed support for creating a new UN special procedure for implementation of the UNDROP, and how it can help realize fundamental rights, including the right to land. Noting the importance of recognizing the role of women peasants, Dr. Correa said that the access to seeds and preserving traditional knowledge of peasants are vital for realizing the right to food. However, agri-business practices and laws have imposed limitations on traditional peasants’ practices, notably the ancestral practice of saving and re-using seeds. Highlighting restrictions on farmers’ rights to use seeds, such as via the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) or patents, Dr. Correa said that, paradoxically, in some European countries and Switzerland, patent laws allow for broader exceptions than those available in many developing countries. Thus it is important to implement UNDROP at all levels, working with all stakeholders to remove restrictions on the rights of peasants. In access to seeds, peasants and rural workers should be free to preserve their food sovereignty.

Zainal Arifin Fuat representing Serikat Petani Indonesia/La Via Campesina said that the current extractive development paradigm is deepening gaps and inequalities. The conflict in Ukraine is having repercussions on food security, while the over-reliance on imports for food grains is increasing hunger in developing countries. The problem is not the lack of food, but the speculative trading system which restricts its availability to all. The implementation of UNDROP presents an opportunity to correct these issues. The Special Rapporteur on the right to food has highlighted that governments are not acting quickly in dealing with food crises. Governments need to create a concrete cooperation process and plan of action to tackle the food crisis. Supporting peasants in developing countries and increasing investment in sustainable agriculture, local and regional food systems to reduce reliance on imports and increase food security are vital. There is the need to ensure the rights of vulnerable people and create a new process to implement UNDROP, which can help move away from a profit driven system to a people centred system.

Svetlana Boinceau, from the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) representing workers in the entire food chain spoke next. She highlighted that the agricultural sector employs the largest number of wage workers in the world, yet many of them suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Despite being designated as essential workers during the pandemic, they were not given adequate protections. Labour laws either don’t cover them or are not properly implemented, which leads to their rights not being respected. The available national and international standards all have exceptions that end up excluding agricultural workers and leaving them without legal protection. The UNDROP is a useful instrument, but it must be fully implemented to improve the situation of workers. It is particularly urgent as climate change is making conditions worse for agricultural workers.

Saul Vicente Vasquez representing the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), also spoke via video message. He highlighted that there are about 476 million indigenous people around the world, which includes many women and young people. They are facing serious threats, and pollution is making their situation worse. Peasants are facing degraded lands and an increase in deforestation, which is leading to further biodiversity loss. Agriculture is not sustainable if it is reliant on deforestation, as is the case in some Latin American countries. Peasants and rural workers help support biodiversity, rural development, and preservation of cultural rights, as for them land and water form an indivisible unit. Private appropriation of land is unimaginable in such contexts. He called on further using traditional knowledge to revive damaged ecosystems.

Christophe Golay from the Geneva Academy for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law reiterated support to creating a new special mechanism under the aegis of the Human Rights Council to ensure the effective implementation of UNDROP. He also informed about the launch of a new website on defending peasants’ rights and promoting the implementation of the UNDROP (https://defendingpeasantsrights.org/).

Following the panel, there were some interventions from the floor.

Cuba reiterated its support to the implementation of UNDROP, noting that peasants’ efforts are critical in food production. Highlighting the risks that peasants have in facing with the multiple crises, there is a need to address the unfair international order and change the international financial architecture which worsens these crises. Rethinking issues such as foreign debt, Official Development Aid (ODA), technology transfer, and strengthening special and differential treatment for developing countries, is required.

South Africa said that given the multitude of evolving crises, ensuring the advance of all human rights universally and without discrimination is important. Peasants’ rights intersect with the right to food and the environment, especially in rural areas. These are also included in the South African constitution. The issues of food sovereignty, dignity and peasant’s rights are linked and need to be fully implemented.

Portugal took the floor next, noting that the right to food and peasants’ rights as can be found in the UNDROP also find mention in their national Constitution. It therefore also supported the implementation of the Declaration and the evolution of these rights in international law.

Ana Maria Suárez-Franco from FIAN International gave the concluding remarks, noting the consensus views in the room of the impacts of ongoing multiple crises on peasants, and said that peasants and rural workers are contributing with solutions for sustainable agro-ecology and the planet.

She emphasised that having the UNDROP is good, but its implementation at all levels is key, including through international cooperation for effective measures to be taken to protect the rights of peasants. A new UN special procedure on the rights of peasants, which would need to be established through a resolution in the Human Rights Council, would be critical. Having a fragmented way to monitor the implementation of UNDROP is insufficient and can lead to gaps in human rights protections. A specific, dedicated mechanism is necessary for fulfilling the rights of peasants and of those working in rural areas, who ultimately are responsible for putting food on our plates.

Watch the video of the event:

Author: Danish is Programme Officer of the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Programme (SDCC) of the South Centre.

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During HEKS/EPER Land Forum 2021, was held an online event with the Geneva Academy of international humanitarian law and human rights and the coalition of Swiss NGOs “Friends of the Déclaration”.

Based on the study “Switzerland’s Foreign Policy and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants” (available in English, French and German), published by the coalition “Friends of the Declaration” and the Geneva Academy, this event came up with proposals to guide Swiss governmental and civil society activities, so that they implement the rights enshrined in UNDROP through their international engagement.

You can find the videos of the event on the website of HEKS/EPER : HERE

Presentation of the event

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