A/HRC/28/44 unregistered land as government property and declared it State land.44 Once declared State land, it is often allocated to settlements (A/69/348, para. 20).45 27. The above circumstances create a situation of insecurity of tenure for Palestinian landowners, which in turn create the conditions for Israeli settlers to take over land by cultivating it and eventually registering it under their name.46 28. According to the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), States should remove and prohibit all forms of discrimination related to tenure rights, including registration of land. 47 Furthermore, States are to recognize informal land tenure in a manner that respects existing rights and in ways that recognize the reality of the situation and promote social, economic and environmental well-being. The Palestinians, who have long been present on and have cultivated land in the West Bank, should have their legitimate tenure rights recognized and be protected against dispossession of their land. This is in line with the obligation of Israel, as the occupying Power, to protect the population in the occupied territory and their property.48 29. Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property, and the denial or restriction of access to agricultural land, undermine Palestinians’ right to an adequate standard of living (A/HRC/25/38, paras. 26-29), as set out in article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which Israel is party. The right to an adequate standard of living encompasses the right of everyone to continuous improvement in living conditions; however, it is evident that, rather than improving, the living conditions of Palestinians are deteriorating as a consequence of Israeli settlement activities and settler violence, while the settlements continue to prosper (see A/HRC/25/38, A/68/513, A/69/348). 30. Before the occupation, agriculture was the main source of labour and resources for Palestinians. Palestinian agriculture has, however, been adversely affected by measures taken by Israel as the occupying Power, in particular land seizures and restrictions on access to land and water resources (A/68/513, para. 40). From 1965 to 1994, cultivated areas shrank by 30 per cent from 1965 to 1994, and Palestinian agricultural production was reduced, from 50 per cent in 1968 to 4.9 per cent of GDP in 2013. 49 31. Agriculture constitutes the largest sector of the economy of Israeli settlements (A/68/513, para. 41). Settlers do not face the same restrictions as Palestinians in their access to agricultural land, and receive the protection and support of Israel. This generally allows them to invest in new technologies and more efficient farming methods, which is reflected in their productivity (A/HRC/22/63, paras. 22, 89-92; A/68/513, para. 28; A/69/348, paras. 28-32). Every year, Israeli settlers export some $285 million worth of agricultural products, against only $19 million by Palestinians.50 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 10 B’Tselem, “Under the Guise of Legality” (see footnote 41), p. 33. State land is automatically placed within the settlement’s regional and local councils and then allocated for settlement development or military training. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Humanitarian Bulletin Monthly Report, April 2014. Using the self-initiated registration regime. Kerem Navot, “Israeli Settler Agriculture” (see footnote 42), p. 108. See also A/69/348, paras. 29-31. See also International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, art. 2.2. Hague Regulations, art. 43; Fourth Geneva Convention, arts. 4, 27 and 55. Emergency Water and Sanitation/Hygiene (EWASH), Fact Sheet 14, 2013; and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, “Palestine in Figures 2012”, March 2013. Who Profits, “Made in Israel: Agricultural Exports from Occupied Territories”, April 2014.