*Originally submitted in Spanish and translated to English by the Secretariat
Chile reaffirms its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, which require the engagement of all actors to ensure that no one is left behind.
With the creation of the National Council for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, composed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Business Development and Tourism, the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of the Environment, progress has been made in establishing, disseminating and developing a national study relating to the Sustainable Development Goals in order to identify public policies and private initiatives that could contribute to their implementation, and also address gaps and challenges.
A government network for the Sustainable Development Goals has been developed, and committees and working groups composed of public institutions, the private sector, civil society, academia and United Nations system organizations have been established.
Other notable initiatives include awareness-raising workshops, national and regional dialogues hosted by the Government and the “Dialogues for a Sustainable Chile” organized by civil society. In addition, public-private dialogues were conducted through civil society councils, including the National Indigenous Council and the Council of Social Responsibility for Sustainable Development of the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
As a middle-income country, a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and one of the most open economies in the world, Chile faces significant long-term challenges: reaching sustainable and inclusive development; reducing poverty and inequality; addressing climate change; and strengthening democratic institutions.
Chile reaffirms the integrality, indivisibility, universality and equal importance of the Sustainable Development Goals, which must be implemented as a shared responsibility between the State, civil society and economic actors in order to achieve sustainable economic and social development within the framework of inclusive economic growth; decent and productive work; the protection and promotion of human rights, through non-fragmented, redistributive policies with an emphasis on social investment; and by regulating the rights of market actors and promoting social cohesion, non-discrimination and environmental sustainability.
The 2030 Agenda is in line with the government programme, the previous and ongoing tax, education and labour reforms, and the expansion of the social protection system. These efforts, together with the development of strong institutions focused on indigenous peoples and youth, aim to reduce inequalities, protect rights and strengthen inclusion.
In the social sphere, income poverty has decreased to 11.7 per cent of the population (as at 2015) according to the national calculation method, and to 0.3 per cent according to the international calculation method. However, 20.9 per cent of the population experiences multidimensional poverty and marked income inequality persists. Consequently, comprehensive and cross-cutting efforts are required to protect, strengthen the capacities and guarantee the rights of vulnerable groups — women, youth, indigenous peoples, immigrants, the elderly, persons with disabilities and homeless people — while reducing gender and geographical gaps.
The Productivity, Innovation and Growth Agenda focuses on diversifying the production matrix, developing high-potential sectors, democratizing entrepreneurship and innovation, and increasing the productivity and competitiveness of small and medium enterprises. The Council of Social Responsibility for Sustainable Development and the Advisory Council on Gender oversee the implementation of public policies to promote corporate and social responsibility and equality between men and women. The Gender Parity Initiative is a public-private partnership aimed at reducing the economic gender gap. The Promotion Project focuses on ensuring greater representation of women in high-level leadership roles in private businesses.
The national environmental policy establishes conditions and incentives to strengthen sustainability by ensuring quality of life, environmental equity and ecosystem protection, as well as by promoting a green growth strategy through the national action plan on climate change, the national programme for sustainable consumption, and production and market-based instruments for environmental management. Further efforts which focus on the expansion of protected areas include a national biodiversity strategy, the legislative process to establish a Division for Biodiversity and Protected Areas, the Recycling Promotion Act and new plans to combat atmospheric pollution in cities. The environmental impact evaluation system, the promotion of local environmental management and the strategic environmental assessment are advancing sustainable territorial management. The Environmental Training Academy and the network of environmental education centres are also contributing to progress in this area.
Access to justice and the strengthening of institutions, democracy and citizen participation are prerequisites for inclusive and sustainable development. In that connection, the Probity and Transparency Agenda reflects the commitment of Chile to improving the quality of public policy and activities.
In conclusion, Chile reaffirms its commitment to revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development and global governance mechanisms in pursuit of a peaceful, just and inclusive society free from violence.