The Civil Society Organisation, CSO, Green Development Advocates, GDA has developed a framework for improving the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.
The CSO developed the framework from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People working in Rural Areas, UNDROP.
Through the framework, they call on government to make legally binding clauses from the declaration that will ensure that the rights of these peasants are protected.
This was during a press conference held on Tuesday July 11, 2023 at the Green Development Advocates headquarters in Yoaunde.
They regret the fact that the declaration is not legally binding, however, they rely on the fact that “there is an obligation for states to make legally binding laws that will ensure that the right of the farmers are respected and they are not disrespected as it is today” explained Mbole Veronique, an environmentalist with GDA.
Mbole outlined some of the rights which include; the personal rights of peasants, rights of rural workers, land rights, related to natural resources, cultural rights and procedural rights.
She added that their hope is that, with the 1994 forestry law which is currently under review, some of these clauses will be included before it is made public.
The presser was an avenue to popularize the UNDROP which was drafted since 2018 to which Cameroon is a signatory but unfortunately had not been included in the constitution or implemented.
This can be seen with the farmers who are still victims of molestation on their farm lands, with a case in point being the SOCAPALM farmers who were victims of such abuse of rights.
The CSO therefore hoped that the peasant farmers will through the presser be informed that there is a law and a legally binding principle in place for them to speak on their rights and ensure that those rights are not violated.
It was revealed that peasant farmers mostly face these violations when Agri businesses want to establish in an area, especially when these farmers produce the same products like companies.
At the end of the day, the peasant farmers are either molested, forced out of their farm lands or their produce bought at very cheap rates.
About UNDROP
The UNDROP is a new advocacy tool for the recognition of the customary rights of peasants and the promotion of their cultural knowledge and practices.
The aim of this declaration was to grant a status to marginalized people and groups in rural areas and to protect them against patriarchal systems, multinationals and agribusinesses by going beyond the attachment of the land and the molestation of the holders.
The declaration also aims to guarantee the ability of future generations to meet their needs in relation to natural resources.
They highlighted that the declaration had some obligations to the state and International Organisations.
Amongst other things, consult and collaborate in good faith with peasants and other people working in rural areas for the respect, fulfillment and protection of their rights.