At the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the United Kingdom said on 8 October 2026 that it would abstain on draft resolution L22 on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, and requested a vote on it. The UK Mission to the WTO, UN and other international organisations in Geneva delivered the explanation of vote.

The UK said it remains committed to protecting the human rights of all individuals, including peasants and rural workers, and recognised rural communities' contribution to food security, sustainable development and poverty reduction. It cited support through its international development partnerships for agricultural productivity, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods, particularly for women and small-scale producers, and thanked Bolivia for leading negotiations openly.

However, the UK said it has longstanding concerns about the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants, arguing that it seeks to create new categories of rights for one specific group, which the UK said runs counter to the universality principle in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UK said it therefore could not support a mechanism focused on implementing an instrument it does not support, while valuing continued dialogue on challenges faced by rural populations.