The Rights to Food Sovereignty and to Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Should the UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas (UN Declaration) currently negotiated at Human Rights Council (HRC) include the rights to food sovereignty and to free, prior and informed consent? Is agreed language available to define these rights in the UN Declaration?

The Rights to Food Sovereignty and to Free, Prior and Informed Consent precisely aims at responding to these questions. It presents the protection of these rights at international, regional and national levels and then defines the main elements of the rights that could be included in the UN Declaration.

AUTHOR

Picture of Christophe Golay

Christophe Golay

Senior Research Fellow

Dr Christophe Golay's expertise relates to economic, social and cultural rights, the right to food and the rights of peasants.

NEWS AND EVENTS

Woman drying beans on the ground News

The Rights to Food Sovereignty and to Free, Prior and Informed Consent

10 April 2018

Our new Research Brief The Rights to Food Sovereignty and to Free, Prior and Informed Consent presents the protection of these rights at international, regional and national levels and defines the main elements of the rights that could be included in the UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas. It will be presented at the 5th session of the intergovernmental working group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas which aims to finalize the UN Declaration.

Read more >

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP at LATSIS News

Bridging Human Rights and Data Science at the 2025 Latsis Symposium

22 September 2025

The 2025 Latsis Symposium on Science for Global Development and Humanitarian Action, organized by ETH for Development, gave prominent space to human rights issues.

Read more

GHRP EU News News

Bridging Geneva and Europe: advancing human rights in the digital age

2 June 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform has taken its work on strengthening the international human rights system to the heart of European policymaking.

Read more

George Floyd protest in Washington D.C. Project

Promoting and Protecting the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association and Civic Space Worldwide

Started in June 2020

This project aims at providing support to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association Clément Voulé by addressing emerging issues affecting civic space and eveloping tools and materials allowing various stakeholders to promote and defend civic space.

Read more

Panel Discussion: Project

Treaty Body Members’ Platform

Started in January 2014

The Treaty Body Members’ Platform connects experts in UN treaty bodies with each other as well as with Geneva-based practitioners, academics and diplomats to share expertise, exchange views on topical questions and develop synergies.

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2024

published on July 2025

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more