On 17 th December 2018, the 73 Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 73) in New York adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights

of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. Now the declaration is an international legal instrument for the implementation in all countries all over the world since “Peasants Rights are Part of Human Rights”!

The long term process, initiated by the international peasant movement La Via Campesina, supported by numerous social movements and allied organizations, such as FIAN, CETIM and

especially Farmers Association of Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, who conducted the International Peasants Rights Congress in March 2017, has been a great source of inspiration and has strengthened the peasant communities in all regions of the globe.

Press Release: UN Adoption of Declaration for Peasants Rights (PDF)

(Biocultural) Community Protocols are documents produced by local communities about the biological diversity they create and conserve. They are an important means for local people to claim their rights under national and international law, especially though the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity. They are intended to ensure that recognition and benefits flow to indigenous and local communities for their role in conserving in the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources.

Community protocols also have many other uses: telling the outside world about the community’s role in conserving biological diversity, documenting traditional knowledge and raising awareness among community members about their unique livestock and livelihood system.

BCPs for pastoralists were pioneered in India in 2009 by the Raika community,  with support from our partner organizations Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (www.lpps.org) and Natural Justice (link). LPP advocates for wider use of the approach and has aided various members of the LIFE Network to implement BCPs, such as among the Samburu of Kenya, camel breeders of Rajasthan, Brela camel breeders in Pakistan, and many others.

On 26th November 2018 Natural Justice, The League for Pastoral Peoples and the ABS Initiative organized a successful Side event during COP 14 in Sharm El-Sheick, Egypt.
Community Protocols – Lessons Learned for ABS and Launching of the Biocultural Community Protocol Guidelines.

Read more:
http://enb.iisd.org/biodiv/cop14/side-events/26nov.html

Dr. Jacob Wanyama represented the League for Pastoral Peoples and gave the presentation: “01_CBD-Egypt-BCP Experience-Sam_JW” (PDF)