Declarations from the Global Convergence of Land and Water Struggles

9 July 2015

Declarations of the West African Civil Society Organizations at the Global Convergence of Land and Water Struggles Presented at Hotel Mande at Bamako 29th Day of June, 2015

We, the representatives of the civil society organizations, social movements and grassroots organizations engaged in the defence of the rights to land, water and seeds, gathered in Nyeline Training Centre, Selinge Mali June, 2015 at the Global Convergence on Land, Water and Seed Struggles:

Considered actions against natural resource grabbing, especially water and land, the systematic violations of human rights,

Shared our ideas on the essential linkage between our struggles against land and water grabbings, given the inextricable nature of land and water,

Resolved to continue this dialogue with movements and organizations from all over the world in order to broaden this convergence.

Therefore we reiterate the following principles of our struggle:

  1. That the human rights to water, food and land are fundamental, and therefore crucial for life. All people, men, women, adults, children, rich, poor, rural and urban dwellers, are entitled to them in West Africa and elsewhere in the world.
  2. That water and land are not only vital to our food production, consumption and survival, but are also part of our common heritage, whose security and governance must be preserved by each community for the common good of our societies and the environment, now and for the future.
  3. Water, land and seeds are Commons, and not commodities.
  4. We recognize that countries are legally and constitutionally mandated to represent peoples' interests. States are therefore duty-bound to oppose any policy and international treaty that undermines human rights and their own sovereignty, such as EPAS, full cost recovery policies of the WB and IMF in the Water Sector, Investor-State Dispute Settlement schemes as included in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the majority of investment treaties.
  5. Land and water management policies should promote the achievement of social justice, gender equality, and environmental justice.
  6. We take a firm stand against foreign multinationals interested in agricultural land occupation and domination in all forms.
  7. We call upon civil society, farmers organizations, social movements, grassroots organizations, agricultural workers’ unions and NGOs around Africa to engage in this to strengthen the declaration.
  8. We call on the governments in West Africa to commit to the implementation of the Declarations of the Convergence.

As we continue to build this Convergence, we recognize and appreciate our diversity, and welcome diverse initiatives that are emerging to improve human dignity. We commit to disseminating this declaration widely. We will take it to our territories and communities in order to involve them further in the process of shaping this Convergence.

 

 

Read the full report of the Global Dialogue on the Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition and the Sub-Regional Conference of the Convergence of Land and Water Struggles.