This Directorate coordinates the international action of Chile regarding Human Rights. This involves presenting the country’s position in international fora to protect and promote human rights and encourage compliance with international commitments made in this area. According to the policies and priorities set out by the Government, this task includes  the promotion and protection of civil, political, economic, social and cultural human rights , as well as the rights of women , children , indigenous peoples , minorities and other vulnerable groups.

• Strengthen the position and political presence of Chile at the human rights organizations and fora of the United Nations and the Inter-American System, highlighting the importance of universality, indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights: civil, political economic, social , cultural, including the right to development.

• Encourage a direct and fluid relationship with various levels of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches, in order to disseminate the international law obligations of human rights outlined below and get them involved in the tasks arising from the implementation of these commitments.

• Support the development of international human rights treaties in international fora and their subsequent ratification in Chile, as well as the work of the treaty bodies (Committees) which are the mechanisms that monitor the implementation of these international instruments in the country. This monitoring is done by reviewing periodic reports that Chile presents to these committees as a State Party, which issue recommendations concerning the implementation of the rights enshrined in the provisions of these treaties. Coordinate the participation of relevant public services in different subjects that these treaties address in the preparation of the periodic reports and compliance with the recommendations of the Committees.

• Coordinate with the various aforementioned public services and the other branches of government , particularly the Judiciary, the representation of the State of Chile in the complaints submitted by individuals before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, for alleged violations of the rights established in the American Convention on Human Rights.  

The Department of the Universal Human Rights System (DIDEHU – DESU) has, among others, the following areas of action:

1. Human Rights Council
2. United Nations General Assembly
3. Reports on the Human Rights Treaty Bodies.
4. Monitoring of the recommendations of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies.
5. Monitoring of the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

The Department of the Inter-American Human Rights System (DIDEHU - DESI) has the following functions:

1. OAS General Assembly
2. Inter-American Human Rights System
3. Complaints lodged with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) 
4. Lawsuits filed at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
5. Thematic hearings of the IACHR

The Coordination Department of the Directorate of Human Rights (DIDEHU - DECO) has the following functions:

1. Inter-ministerial and inter-governmental affairs
2. Section of Management Unit: 

• Responsible for PMG gender

Indigenous Affairs Unit

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREL) created the Indigenous Affairs Unit by Service Order of the Undersecretariat No. 640, of 29 December 2010. The unit is dependant of the Directorate of Human Rights (DIDEHU/U.A.I.) in order to mainstream the indigenous policy within the institutional structure of this Ministry, establishing actions, adjustments, and definition of policies, plans and programs to incorporate the indigenous variable and promote cultural diversity.

In line with the role fulfilled by U.A.I. in the organization chart of the various Ministries, the Indigenous Affairs Unit of this Ministry is assigned the following functions:

• Being the ministerial counterpart, accordingly, before the Coordination Unit of Indigenous Affairs of the Ministry General Secretariat of Government and Indigenous Affairs Units of other Ministries;
• Ensuring the  indigenous relevance of the actions and investments of the Ministry and its dependant services as appropriate, both in the exercise of its tasks and within the organization, proposing courses of action and accompanying its implementation;   
• Proposing actions to incorporate the intercultural approach in the corresponding sector or region (SEREMI);
• Monitoring the actions required in which the Ministry and its dependant services should participate, as appropriate, in the process of implementing the action plan for the indigenous policy;
• Promoting in the training plans the involvement of the officials to incorporate an intercultural approach in the development of their tasks;
• Coordinating with the Coordination Unit of Indigenous Affairs and implement, as the case may be, the application of participation and consultation procedures.

The institutional development mentioned above is a result of the progressive development of the Indigenous policy in our country particularly after the ratification of ILO Convention No. 169 on “Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries” in force in Chile since September 2009. An example of the foregoing has been the increasing application of the right to consultation and participation as recognized in Article 6 of the aforementioned Convention, due to legislative and administrative relevant measures which may affect them directly.

With regard to the ILO Convention 169, on October 14, 2008, the Government enacted this convention which enters into force fully on September 15, 2009.  Additional information can be obtained from the following link:  http://www.ilo.org/indigenous/Conventions/no169/lang--es/index.htm

Contact

Juan Pablo Crisostomo Merino

Minister Counselor

Head of the Directorate of Human Rights

Email: [email protected]

Rodrigo Alejandro Espinosa Aguirre

Minister Counselor

Deputy Director of the Directorate of Human Rights

Email: [email protected]

Address: Teatinos 180, Santiago.

Phones:  56 (2) 2827 4297 / 4344 | 56 (2) 2380 1042

Fax: 2380 1645