Activists came together to work on a draft of a Shadow Report for the National Encounter of the UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).

On 12 June 2023, SFF participated, along with Peasant and Indigenous women’s organisations in Argentina, in the drafting of a shadow report for the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). The shadow report forms part of the fulfilment requirements by CESCR for signatory states to present an official state report and civil society shadow reports on access to rights every five years.

Every five years, member states present a report to the Committee on the economic and social rights situation in their countries concerning compliance and progress in the treaties. In September this year, Argentina must present its report. Civil society participates in this process through ‘shadow reports’:
an alternative report that contains real information, analysis of the situation and recommendations related to economic and social rights, completing or challenging the official report presented by the states.

The drafting of the National Encounter Shadow Report covered the period 2019 – 2023 and was organised by the National Engagement Strategy (ENI Argentina), which seeks to achieve changes in public policies, agendas and practices that guarantee access, use and management of land, water and other natural resources for peasant and indigenous organizations, women and youth in the Argentine Chaco region.

Agustina Calcagno, Project Member at SFF, participated in her capacity as a member of Fundación Plurales, an organisation supporting movements at the national level with a focus on indigenous and peasant women, which is a member of ENI (National Engagement Strategy) Argentina. Agus’s role in Plurales is as a facilitator in the gender committee. 

The drafting process brought together 28 participants representing over 20 peasants and indigenous organisations fighting for land and associated resource rights and access. Altogether, they travelled over 44,000 kilometres, more than a round-the-world trip, to meet and discuss what is happening in their territories and make it visible in the report. The organisations are also a part of the international land coalition to support national strategies. This was a participatory process where representatives held pre-drafting consultations with their communities and brought their priority concerns to the drafting meeting. 

Among the priority concerns for inclusion in the report were: access to water and water privatisation, mineral extractives, particularly lithium mining, land grabs, access to health, which is limited partially by language of communication by health workers and limited education within communities, access to the commons, women’s rights, social work rights. The drafting process’ goals were to arrive at a common position as CSOs, identify data to support arguments, set priorities and agree on what to present and areas to increase pressure for change, and to develop recommendations. 

The drafting process included a special meeting of the gender committee for a reflection process and a ceremony where common medicines were presented from each community. 

The drafting process is being followed up by a series of consultations with communities before finalising the draft.

See more about the ENI (National Engagement Strategy) in Argentina: https://eniargentina.org/