EU Statement – UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Interactive Dialogue with the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, Ms. Shalmali Guttal

Ms. Chair,

The European Union thanks the Working Group for its report on land and sea territorialities under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas.

The report highlights a persistent gap between the recognition of rights and their effective implementation. Secure and equitable access to land, water, fisheries, forests and pastures is essential to sustainable livelihoods, food security, environmental protection and the enjoyment of human rights. We are particularly concerned by the disproportionate barriers faced by rural women, including unequal access to land and productive resources and underrepresentation in territorial governance.

The European Union underlines that the green transition must be just, inclusive and firmly grounded in human rights. Climate mitigation, renewable energy and conservation projects should not result in displacement or the erosion of legitimate tenure rights. Transparent decision-making, meaningful participation by affected communities, appropriate safeguards and responsible business conduct are therefore indispensable. The report’s attention to aquatic territories and to the mobility of pastoral and transhumant communities also demonstrates the importance of tenure frameworks that reflect diverse forms of land and resource use.

We reaffirm the importance of gender equality, access to justice and effective remedies. The European Union remains committed to constructive engagement that advances human rights, resilient food systems and environmental sustainability in a mutually reinforcing manner.

Among the affirmative measures recommended to States, which legal and institutional measures have proved most effective in ensuring that rural women enjoy substantive equality in access to land, water and productive resources, as well as parity and meaningful influence in territorial governance bodies?

I thank you.