In our country, since the first popular election of the highest regional governments — Governors and Governesses — in 2021, the decentralization process has gained momentum. This has resulted in the strengthening of regional institutionalism, particularly of Regional Governments, which have among their core areas of action social and human development.
In this regard, the promotion and defense of human rights becomes a strategic area of action, which is incorporated into the pillars of the Government Program of the Regional Government of Valparaíso 2021–2025.
This program aims at actions to advance in guaranteeing the core rights of the inhabitants of the Valparaíso region, summarized in “Valparaíso, Region of Rights.”
Each pillar of the program structures a set of initiatives that address various groups of rights that are simultaneously interconnected.
To develop each of these pillars, it is essential to build a regional culture of human rights that, on the one hand, guides the actions of the Regional Government in its way of diagnosing and planning the Region, and on the other, relates to other institutions, individuals, groups, and organizations in search of mechanisms that promote the enforceability and guarantee of rights.
In particular, the programmatic objectives of the Regional Government of Valparaíso focus on the following aspects:
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Strive to strengthen the regional public institutional framework in the area of human rights promotion and defense with the tools available to the Regional Government.
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Develop coordination and reinforce human rights defenders’ organizations in identifying gaps and asymmetries in the exercise and guarantee of civil and political rights and in the defense of ESCRs (Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights), making them participants in the formulation of the ERD, with participation levels in accordance with the capacities of the Regional Government.
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Contribute to the recovery, preservation, and visibility of memory sites associated with serious human rights violations as living spaces of past-present reflection.
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Implement strategies that enhance the various expressions of collective memory, not only in the dimension linked to our traumatic past (historical, local, social, and collective memory).
We are joining the “10, 100, 1000 Human Rights Cities and Territories for 2030” campaign, promoted by the Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy and Human Rights (CISDPDH) of UCLG, driven by the conviction that only through collaboration, experience-sharing, and coordinated action — at both national and international levels — among subnational governments, and with the active involvement of civil society, can we advance the global promotion and protection of human rights. This commitment must be reflected in the development and long-term implementation of public policies and government actions that address key areas such as the recovery, preservation, and recognition of historical memory; the promotion and defense of environmental human rights; the rights of marginalized communities; the provision of basic services such as water and sanitation; and the fulfillment of economic, social, and cultural rights, among others.
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Comprehensive Care Transfer Program for Older Persons, Valparaíso Region (Rights of older persons)
The program aims to improve the quality of life of older persons with functional dependency and their families, incorporating training and increasing the supply of caregivers integrated into the territorial coordination of relevant services and information systems.
The target population includes 1,000 people who serve or intend to serve as caregivers for older persons with moderate to severe levels of dependency.
This program is implemented by the University of Viña del Mar and is funded by the Valparaíso Regional Government with approximately USD 970,000.
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Transfer for Efficient Water Management for Rural Households in Poverty and Vulnerability, in the context of Water Scarcity in the Valparaíso Region (Basic services)
The program aims to contribute to the optimization of water resources through the implementation of technologies and training to improve water storage conditions, proper piping systems, sinks, and a biofilter that allows water delivered by the water truck to remain in good condition to avoid losses due to leaks, by improving household water distribution along with recycling and reuse of greywater, to be used for other purposes such as watering fruit trees, ornamental plants, or other uses considered by the family.
Beneficiaries of this program are rural households (100 families) in poverty and vulnerability, according to the RSH, whose water supply comes from a water truck and who lack or have precarious water storage and/or household distribution systems, in the context of water scarcity.
This program is implemented by the Solidarity and Social Investment Fund (FOSIS) and is funded by the Valparaíso Regional Government with approximately USD 763,000.
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Transfer for the Promotion of the Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Adolescent CIS and Transgender Girls (Inclusion of marginalized groups)
The program aims to provide knowledge on the sexual and reproductive rights of cisgender and transgender adolescent girls in public schools in the municipalities of Casablanca and Valparaíso.
The program’s main activities include:
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Conducting training workshops on sexual and reproductive rights
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Distribution of educational materials and support supplies (SRR kit including guide, menstrual management set, among others)
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Hosting discussion forums with expert women in sexual and reproductive rights
This program is implemented by the Permanent Women’s Health Encounter Corporation (EP MUSA) and is funded by the Valparaíso Regional Government with approximately USD 463,000.