La Via Campesina participated in the side event on “Respecting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of peasants and other rural workers – a wise move in times of multiple crises”, held in conjunction with the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, Room XXII Palais des Nations, Geneva, 15 March 2023.
Zainal Arifin Fuat, a member of the International Coordination Committee spoke about the global food and socio-economic crises, and proposed solutions.
“Our world, the humanity is facing simultaneous crises including a structural economic problem, environmental crisis caused by (1) extractive Industries or extractive development paradigm), (2) COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating inequalities, (3) conflict, wars and geopolitical tensions in various regions, said Zainal. He added that these crises have deepened gaps in people’s daily economic, social and environmental dimensions. As peasants and other people working in rural areas, what we witness in our daily lives are global food and socio-economic crises.
La Via Campesina called on the governments to take immediate actions to address the current food crisis and move towards food sovereignty, and also implement the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in the Rural Areas (UNDROP). The next steps to ensure the implementation of UNDROP is to create a UN special procedure on UNDROP, a space at the service of this needed change, a space of discussion, exchange of ideas and good practices.
LVC emphasized that without a concerted effort on a global level between governments and all of us, the international society, not much will be achieved. The small and medium producers, the peasants, indigenous peoples, fisher folk, agricultural workers, pastoralists, beekeepers, should be at the center of this project to save humanity.
