Outcomes of the VG negotiations July 12-15

Dear all,

this is to inform you on the outcomes of the VG-negotiations that took place in Rome from July 12-15.

Objective and Content: The negotiations aimed at finalizing the VG document in order to adopt it at the 37. CFS-conference in October. This objective was not achieved. Reasons for this were that several delegations were either not sufficiently prepared or did not have the mandate for negotiating from their capitals, and that the discussions were lengthy and too difficult to steer towards completing the document.

But still, around 30-40% of the VG document have been discussed and agreed upon:

-Preface with new text on purpose  of the VG

-Parts 1 to 3.5 (objectives, principles), as well as

-Large parts of part 4 (rights and responsibilities) and part 12 (investments), which still need to be adopted by the plenary.

In these parts, substantial aspects of the EU-position were integrated such as the acknowledgement of the realization of the right to food as overarching objective of the VG, the linkage to water resources, integration of human-rights related responsibilities of non-state actors and other human right aspects, objectives of responsible investments as well as risks of large-scale land acquisitions. In addition, the US, CAN EU and NGO-representatives agreed upon the acknowledgement of the “Free, prior and informed consent” principle for indigenous groups in part 9.8.

Other Eu-positions, such as strengthened linkages to Gender aspects, the inclusion of a chapter on international cooperation and the more concrete formulation of the chapter on monitoring and implementation have so far not been brought in, due to time limitations. In bilateral discussions with the USA and China, concerns over the EU-proposals on responsibilities of state and non-state investors were raised. USA and Russia advocate for a strikt separation of the RAI and VG processes. Here, some tough negotiations can be expected.

The VG-document including the agreed changes shall be circulated at August 12, 2011.

Participants: Around 70 states, representatives of 20 NGOs and one private sector network, World Bank and UN-High commissioner on Human rights attended the negotiations. FAO regional groups have been present, except for the asian group which was only observing through Thailand and China.

Further proceedings: CFS-chairmen de Luna confirmed that the adoption of the VG in the 37. CFS-conference is still the aim. In an extraordinary session of the CFS-Bureau on 15.07. it was decided to arrange for another negotiation week (10.-14.10.2011) on the VG just prior to the CFS conference in order to finalize the VG and allow for adoption in the CFS conference. Financing of this additional negotiation might be achieved through additional non-earmarked CFS-funds.

The VG negotiations are very much related to the “Principles for responsible agricultural investments” (RAI principles) which should have started with the first meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the RAI on 20.07.2011. The EU position that the two processes (VG and RAI) should be striktly separated and the RAI process be delayed until the VG were adopted, was communicated.

Present from our EU Working Group on Land Issues were Caroline Plancon, Damien Fountaine, Frits vander Wal and myself. (In case you would like to add any information, please feel free to do so.)

Kind regards,

Antti

Antti Seelaff

___________________________________________

Advisor

Landmanagement

Division 45 - Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Deutsche Gesellschaft für

Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

PO Box 5180

65726 Eschborn, Germany

T  +49 6196  79 3374

F  +49 6196  79 803374

E  Antti.Seelaff@giz.de

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