IACHR Sets Up Joint Mechanism to Monitor Recommendations Held in the Report Situation of Human Rights in Chile

December 12, 2022

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Santiago – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has set up the joint mechanism to monitor recommendations held in its report Situation of Human Rights in Chile (MESECH). On December 12, 2022, the IACHR and the State of Chile signed an agreement in Santiago concerning the schedule for MESECH efforts over the coming four years, to support compliance with recommendations and to help to consolidate talks among the various sectors in society regarding the implementation of the recommendations held in the Commission's country report.

"The MESECH is based on an innovative model. For the first time, compliance with the recommendations held in an IACHR report will be monitored jointly with a State. This exemplifies Chile's twofold commitment to the Inter-American Human Rights System. On the one hand, the country commits to addressing the recommendations held in the IACHR report. On the other hand, it takes part in efforts to monitor the implementation of these recommendations in the context of a joint plan," said Commissioner Joel Hernández, the IACHR's Rapporteur for Chile.

The main goal of the MESECH is to support efforts to monitor the recommendations made by the IACHR in its report Situation of Human Rights in Chile. Based on that main goal, the idea is to apply specialized methods that enable the MESECH to examine and assess progress concerning the report's recommendations, and to develop and implement activities to provide specialized support to efforts to implement those recommendations. In this context, the plan that was agreed includes IACHR visits to Chile to obtain information on site, as well as the provision of technical support, among other elements.

The signing was attended by Chilean Foreign Ministry Antonia Urrejola; IACHR Rapporteur for Chile Joel Hernández; Chilean Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Sebastián Kraljevich; and members of technical teams at both the Chilean Foreign Ministry and the IACHR.

Background

The IACHR conducted an observation visit to Chile following the social protests that took place in the country from October 18, 2019, until early 2020, a situation that came to be known as a "social outbreak." At the end of its observation visit, the IACHR issued preliminary considerations and noted that, while Chile has in place a democratic system with a solid rule of law, the country faced a major challenge to adapt its institutional responses to the democratic complaints of its people and to violence perpetrated in the context of the 2019 social outbreak.

On January 24, 2022, the Commission approved and published the report Situation of Human Rights in Chile, which compiled the information provided both by the State and by civil society organizations and other stakeholders the Commission met with during its visit. In its report, the Commission made 60 recommendations to the State of Chile. Following talks with national authorities, the Commission and the State agreed to create a joint mechanism to monitor compliance with the recommendations held in the report.

A principal, autonomous body of the OAS, the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 276/22

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