Background

The Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, established pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 54/9, invites Member States, the rights holders as defined in article 1 of the Declaration and their representative organizations, national human rights institutions, human rights mechanisms, international and regional organizations, civil society, the academia and any other interested individuals and organizations to provide written inputs on the dissemination and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas.

According to resolution 54/9, the Working Group has a mandate to

(a) promote the effective and comprehensive dissemination and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas, while identifying challenges and gaps in its implementation at the national, regional and international levels;

(b) identify, exchange and promote good practices and lessons learned on the implementation of the Declaration; and

(c) facilitate and contribute to the exchange of technical assistance, capacity building, transfer of technologies and international cooperation in support of national efforts, actions and measures to better implement the Declaration.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

The Working Group has developed separate questionnaires for States and non-State actors. All submissions are welcome and the topics below are not exhaustive. However, the Working Group would be grateful for comments that focus on one or more of the following topics.

States

1. Please provide information on the measures adopted to disseminate the Declaration at the national level. Has the Declaration been translated in the official and minority languages (if any) spoken in your country? Have you organized any training or awareness-raising activity for civil servants and civil society on the Declaration and the rights it recognizes? Please provide details.
2. Please provide information on the protection afforded by your national Constitution to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of peasants and other people working in rural areas. Does your Constitution include any specific provision on peasants and other people working in rural areas? Does it expressly recognize their contribution to food security and the preservation of the natural environment?
3. Please provide information on the legislative, administrative, policy and other appropriate steps adopted by your country to achieve progressively the full realization of the rights set forth in the present Declaration that cannot be immediately guaranteed. Do you have any law or policy specifically devoted to protecting and promoting the rights of peasants or other people working in rural areas? If so, what are these and how are they being implemented?
4. Article 2(3) of the Declaration provides that States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with peasants and other people working in rural areas through their own representative institutions before adopting and implementing legislation and policies, international agreements and other decision-making processes that may affect their rights. To what extent have the rights holders as defined in article 1 of the Declaration been involved in the development and implementation of the measures adopted at the national level to protect and promote their rights?
5. What are the main achievements made by your country in protecting and promoting the rights of peasants or other people working in rural areas? Are there any legislative, administrative or other measures that you regard as a good practice on the implementation of the Declaration?
6. What are the main obstacles your country has faced in the dissemination and implementation of the Declaration? Do you have any lesson learned that you would like to share in this regard?
7. What do you consider to be priority issues that need to be addressed in the implementation of the Declaration?

Human rights mechanisms and international organisations

1. Please provide information on the efforts made in accordance with your mandate/your organization’s mandate to disseminate the Declaration at the national, regional or international levels. To what extent do you/your organization integrate the implementation of the Declaration in the discharge of mandate entrusted to you/your organization?
2. Please provide an assessment on the progress made and the difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Declaration in your country or region. What are the main achievements in protecting and promoting the rights of peasants or other people working in rural areas? What are the main obstacles?
3. Are there any legislative, administrative, policy or other measures that you regard as good practices or lessons learned on the implementation of the Declaration?
4. Please describe the efforts made by your organization in facilitating and promoting international cooperation in support of national efforts for the realization of the purposes and objectives of the Declaration.
5. To what extent have these activities been developed and implemented in partnership with relevant international and regional organizations and civil society, in particular organizations of peasants and other people working in rural areas?
6. What do you consider to be priority issues that need to be addressed in the implementation of the Declaration?

Civil society¹

1. Please provide information on the measures adopted in your country to disseminate the Declaration at the national or regional levels. Has the Declaration been translated in the official and minority languages (if any) spoken in your country or region? If so, in which languages?
2. Have you or your organization developed any training or awareness-raising activity on the Declaration and the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas for rights holders as defined in article 1 of the Declaration or for civil society as a whole?
3. Please provide information on the progress made and the difficulties encountered in your country in the implementation of the Declaration. What are the main achievements in protecting and promoting the rights of peasants or other people working in rural areas? What are the main obstacles?
4. Are there any legislative, administrative, policy or other measures that you regard as good practices or lessons learned on the implementation of the Declaration?
5. Do you or your organization engage with State authorities or human rights mechanisms (for instance human rights treaty bodies or special procedures of the Human Rights Council) to raise awareness on the Declaration and promote its integration in their activities? If so, please provide details.
6. How, and to what extent have the organisations of peasants and other people working in rural areas participated in the development and implementation of policies, legislations, legal and other measures to advance the protection of their rights?
7. What do you consider to be priority issues that need to be addressed in the implementation of the Declaration?

How inputs will be used?

Unless otherwise specified by those making a submission, submissions will be made public on the Working group’s website.

1 The term “civil society” includes right holders and their representative organizations, as defined in article 1 of the declaration. In the submission, please introduce your organization and explain its main objectives.