AsiaDHRRA joined the 3rd Congress of the World Rural Forum (WRF) with the theme “Towards Development and Solidarity-Challenge and Commitment”, last October 19-21, 2006 in Basque, Spain. It was attended by around 300 participants from 32 countries, from four continents – Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, mainly rural development organizations: agriculturists, cooperatives, civil society organizations (farmers organizations, NGOs) business group, governments,and multilateral agencies (FAO, UN, IFAD) and the IMF.

Together with AsiaDHRRA were representatives from PhilDHRRA, AFA and its members SorKorPor and Ainokai. AsiaDHRRA’s participation in the Congress enabled it to actively contribute in defining WRF‘s work in Asia, to develop new partnerships and gain new ideas and perspectives on issues affecting farmers and humanity in many parts of the world and the many encouraging initiatives by different groups around these issues.

The key resolutions raised during the forum include:

1. Defending respect for and compliance of Human Rights. That economic, social and cultural rights be recognized in the same level as civil and political rights.
2. Working on fair framework of commercial relations and agricultural policies to put an end to inequalities. Condemn economic and commercial interests which benefit a small few at the expense of millions of peasant farmers and of sustainable development.
3. Engaging private companies, through their social responsibility, and to find joint actions with social organizations which promote rational investments and are not limited to mere economic profit.
4. Supporting self-organization of rural areas, including all the groups of people who live in these areas: small peasant farmers, women, social organizations, local communities, etc.
5. Questioning the model of cooperation and transfer of technology applied to countries in development. It must be mainly at the service of the rural communities, of their identity and means of subsistence. It is not only the amount of cooperation that matters but also its quality.
6. Migration policies in solidarity, which recognize their role as an opportunity for sustainable economic, social and cultural development and not as a threat.
7. Demanding governments of developed countries to keep their commitments to finance the development cooperation. The goal of 0.7% is already falling short even before it has been reached.
8. Strengthening international networks which promote the exchange of experiences and good practices as regards rural development.