Statement by UN Special Procedures and Treaty Body Members on the Implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants

A peasant holds seeds in his hands. A peasant holds seeds in his hands.

19 December 2019

On 17 December 2019, nine United Nations (UN) Special Procedures and four members of UN Treaty Bodies issued a Statement on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP) by the UN General Assembly.

Integrating Key Recommendations of our Research Brief

In their statement, in which they quote our Research Brief on the Implementation of the UNDROP, UN human rights experts call states and international and regional organizations to take steps to implement the UNDROP. They also commit to integrate the monitoring of the Declaration in the exercise of their mandates, protect the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, and provide guidance to states on how they can implement the UNDROP.

‘The fact that they recommend to the UN Human Rights Council to create a new Special Procedure on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas must also be underlined, as this is a major request of many stakeholders engaged in the implementation of the UNDROP’ explains Dr Christophe Golay, Senior Research Fellow and Strategic Adviser on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at the Geneva Academy.

‘This statement contains many recommendations entailed in our Research Brief, including the fact that states must ensure the consistency of international agreements and standards to which they are party with the UNDROP, and must establish mechanisms to ensure the coherence of their agricultural, economic, social, cultural and development policies with the UNDROP’ explains Dr Golay.

‘This statement is one of the major outcomes of the expert seminar organized by the Geneva Academy, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Geneva Office in June 2019 on the role of UN human rights mechanisms in monitoring the UNDROP’ he adds.

A Dedicated Training Course in June 2020

Our new one-week training course on the implementation of UNDROP will take place in June 2020 and will precisely address these issues.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP EU News News

Bridging Geneva and Europe: advancing human rights in the digital age

2 June 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform has taken its work on strengthening the international human rights system to the heart of European policymaking.

Read more

EQINET Logo News

In Highlight: Equality Bodies Comparison Dashboard

20 August 2025

Via its DHRTTDs Directory, the Geneva Human Rights Platform provides a comprehensive list and description of such key tools and databases. But how to navigate them? Which tool should be used for what, and by whom? This interview helps us understand better the specificities of the current highlight of the directory: Equality Bodies Comparison Dashboard

Read more

Enforced Disappearances Event

'Short-term' Enforced Disappearances

23 September 2025, 13:00-14:00

This side event will bring together stakeholders to discuss the growing concerning recurrence to short-term enforced disappearances worldwide, and the challenges they pose for victims and accountability.

Read more

A general view of participants during of the 33nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council. Training

The Universal Periodic Review and the UN Human Rights System: Raising the Bar on Accountability

10-14 November 2025

This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.

Read more

Un plate with Rapporteur Spécial written on it Project

Support to UN Special Procedures

Started in June 2020

Read more

Session of a UN Treaty Body Project

Treaty Bodies Individual Communications Procedures

Started in January 2019

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2024

published on July 2025

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more