Statement by India at the Fifth Session of the Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas, delivered by Dr. A. Sudhakara Reddy, Counsellor (Legal). [Geneva, 9 April 2018]

Mr. Chairman,

India welcomes convening of this important meeting on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in the Rural Areas. We would like to join other delegates in congratulating you on your election as Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group.

My delegation supports the ongoing process and several other resolutions having a mandate to conduct informal consultations with Governments and other relevant stake holders, to prepare a new text on the basis of the draft declaration presented by the Advisory Committee.

Mr. Chairman,

In the last working group in May 2017, several panellists and experts have explained the importance of the draft declaration while addressing the challenges such as elimination of poverty and hunger by promoting conservation and sustainable utilisation of scarce resources. Indeed, it was an attempt to provide clarity on several important provisions on which member states have divergent views and opinions.

The present revised draft is much more improved version. However, we believe that several key issues such as: Definition of the term ‘Peasants’; obligations of States, multiple rights of Peasants, protection of traditional knowledge and extra-territorial application of the provisions, still require a board based consensus. It may be a long way ahead before a consensus is reached.

My delegation would like to emphasize that the Working Group should take on board several proposals made by Member States in an inclusive manner so that the draft declaration may get a wider support for effective implementation of the rights of the Peasants.

I thank you, Mr, Chairman.