Implementing the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in light of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP)

This Briefing Paper explains how the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP) complements the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), in particular its Article 9 on Farmers’ Rights, and how their joint implementation is essential for the realization of farmers’ and peasants’ rights. It is demonstrated that UNDROP: 1) reaffirms as well as further elaborates on the scope of peasants’ right to seeds and related State obligations; 2) firmly positions peasants’ rights, including their right to seeds, as human rights that take precedence over other legal norms; 3) brings to bear accountability mechanisms linked with defining peasants’ rights as human rights guarantees; and 4) clearly defines the role and obligations of UN agencies.