The national meeting of the Indigenous and Afro-descendant Prior Consultation on the new heritage legislation, raised by the National Cultural Heritage Service (Serpat), concluded with displays of great emotion and joy. After three days of intense work, representatives of the 11 indigenous peoples, from the 16 regions of the country and Rapa Nui, signed important agreements that will pave the way for this process.
This weekend’s event was the conclusion of eight months of hard work in the territories, in which 682 dialogues were held in 241 communes in Chile, in which representatives of 3,892 organizations and communities of indigenous peoples nationwide participated.
The Minister of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, Carolina Arredondo, and the Undersecretary of Cultural Heritage, Carolina Pérez, signed on behalf of the State the agreement that includes important consensuses reached. These are framed in the pillars of recognition, protection of indigenous and Afro-descendant tribal cultural heritage and representation and participation that will be included in future regulations.
“This consultation is the largest that the Ministry has carried out, with historic participation at the country level,” highlighted Minister Arredondo, who also thanked “the enormous will of all the representatives of the peoples and communities participating in this consultation. This is a fundamental milestone that will allow us to build new heritage legislation that considers respect and protection of the heritage and memory of ancestral peoples.”
“The national closure of this consultation allows us to fulfill our government’s commitment to the indigenous peoples in Chile, to listen to their voice in the construction of new heritage legislation. Thus, we continue to advance to have a modern law that considers communities throughout the country,” added Undersecretary Carolina Pérez.
In this way, the government fulfills its commitment to carry out prior consultation with the indigenous peoples, in accordance with Convention 169 of the ILO, which came into force in Chile in September 2009. This indicates in its article 2 that it is a right of the indigenous and tribal peoples and an obligation of States to guarantee the effectiveness of their rights and respect their social and cultural identities. Likewise, in its articles 6 and 7 it establishes the obligation to consult the administrative and legislative measures that may directly affect them.
Nélida Pozo, director of the National Cultural Heritage Service, the organization that was in charge of organizing the consultation, highlighted that “this is the first national indigenous consultation of this government, and we are very proud and proud that it was carried out.” with respect for the principles of good faith and with adequate procedures to reach agreements.”
As part of this process – explained the director – the consultation was also carried out with the Chilean Afro-descendant Tribal people, which ended in the city of Arica on April 5 and 6, with a national agreement where representatives of organizations from nine regions of the country participated. country: Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Metropolitana, Maule and Biobío.
