Promoting "Universal and Quality Public Services for the construction of the new Chile"
On 26 and 27 April, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, together with Public Services International, held the event "Universal and quality Public Services for the new Chile", an opportunity seized by affiliated trade union representatives in Latin America and the Caribbean and civil society organizations interested in strengthening the Chilean constitutional process.
We began the preparatory meetings on 22 April at the government level. The first to meet with us was the Minister Secretary General of the Presidency of Chile, Giorgio Jackson, with whom we discussed the importance of considering public services as tools to guarantee human rights.
We then met with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonia Urrejola, to discuss the future of public services, both in Chile and abroad, always considering the importance that they too be implemented from a gender perspective.
The Minister of Labour, Jeannette Jara, met with us to discuss the urgency of modernizing and strengthening public administration, decent work, and that the guarantees of social rights can be achieved through fair fiscal policy.
With this kick off, the event held on Tuesday and Wednesday was attended by important Chilean government authorities, who met in the Bicentennial building of Chile, highlighting the participation of the Undersecretary of the Ministry General Secretariat of Government, Valeska Naranjo, who she highlighted, in the opening remarks, the relevance of public services in the foundations of a more just and equitable society.
We were also accompanied by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour, Giorgio Boccardo, who emphasized the concept that public services "are essential to our lives", committing from his office, to work so that these services are considered from both a gender and human rights perspective.
The vice president of the Chilean Constitutional Convention, Gaspar Domínguez, a medical doctor, also actively participated. He maintained his conviction that "the achievement of social rights is intimately connected with public services."
For his part, the president of the Chilean Senate, Alvaro Elizalde, pointed out that "it is not possible to conceive of a Social State of Law without public services that are up to that challenge", highlighting the value they have in people’s daily life.
Personalities from the academic world joined the challenge that implies that public services are considered from this perspective. Thus, the Rector of the University of Chile, Ennio Vivaldi, commented that given Chilean history, “the destruction of what is public destroyed the country's sense of cohesion. This experience is valid at all levels of education”, emphasizing the importance of rebuilding the Chilean public system.
On 27 April, all union representatives affiliated in Latin America and the Caribbean and civil society organizations belonging to Public Services International met at the Museum of Education in Santiago to discuss the challenges and actions that must be taken once the new Chilean Constitution is approved.
We salute all those who participated in this instance and from the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights we continue working so that public services become universal and of high quality for the new Chile.