Why are local and regional governments essential for promoting, fulfilling, and respecting human rights?
Because the municipality is the first point of contact between people and the State and its institutions. As such, by maintaining communication with the inhabitants of the commune/territory, the municipality can help people understand what human rights are and how to exercise them. Activities are carried out both for the community and for vulnerable groups such as immigrants, the elderly, children and adolescents, women, and people with disabilities, among others.
Human rights training is also provided to municipal employees to ensure compliance with them.
Why are human rights relevant values and a useful framework for guiding local action?
Because respect for the human rights of every person is a duty for all, governments—including municipalities within the scope of their responsibilities—have the obligation to promote, respect, protect, and guarantee the human rights granted to individuals. Acting within the framework of the international human rights instruments ratified by Chile helps ensure that municipal actions consider human rights in practice. Municipal decisions must be aligned with human rights, especially regarding vulnerable groups (women, the elderly, people with disabilities, migrants, among others).
It is also important to recognize that human rights are inherent to all human beings, without any distinction of nationality, residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. We all have the same human rights—these rights are interrelated, interdependent, indivisible, and universal.
The motivation for the municipality to join the campaign is to learn from the experiences of other local governments internationally, participate by making proposals, and share the actions the municipality has implemented in terms of human rights.
Actions are carried out in the following areas, for example:
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The Disability Office is developing the Local Inclusive Development Strategy (EDLI), which includes a Support Plan for Municipalities to promote intersectoral efforts aimed at long-term public policy for social inclusion of people with disabilities, led by local governments in alliance with community organizations.
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Creation of the Migrant Office on August 31, 2022, through Mayor’s Decree No. 1437. Its objective is to develop actions and/or strategies that facilitate and strengthen the social inclusion of the migrant community living in Chiguayante through support, training strategies, community engagement, and guidance on social and migration-related issues.
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The Senior Citizens Office of the Municipality of Chiguayante received funding for two projects: the Day Center for Older Adults and the Friendly Cities Project.
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Creation of the Human Rights and Community Office on July 29, 2020, by Mayor’s Decree No. 921. Its main goal is to ensure respect for human rights in the commune by carrying out necessary actions to provide advice on these matters to residents and channel their complaints. This office also organized the first meeting of Human Rights Offices from Chilean municipalities, where a legislative proposal was made to mandate the creation of such offices in all Chilean municipalities, along with associated funding.