Human Rights Council moves ahead with declaration on the rights of rural workers

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) will resume negotiations in May 2016 on a Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas.

The Bolivian Ambassador, Nari Suxo Iturry, will oversee an Intergovernmental Working Group charged with negotiating, finalizing and submitting a text to the Council.

The Working Group is expected to meet in 2016 and 2017 in order to have a draft ready for the 36th session of the HRC in 2017.

The Declaration comes out of work initially done La Via Campesina to propose a document on the human rights of peasant farmers. However initial discussions in the Council broadened the scope to include “other people working in rural area”, thus bringing it clearly into the IUF’s jurisdiction.   

The IUF has been invited to present its view on the Declaration to the May session of the Working Group and consultations will be held with affiliates to gather their inputs.