On October 14th CESR, the Initiative for Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights in Fiscal Policy, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Observatory of Economic Policies of Chile co-organized the virtual event "Dialogue on Human Rights and Fiscal Policy in the constitutional process in Chile".
In the meeting, participants discussed the importance of addressing fiscal discussions in Chile’s constitutional reform process from a human rights perspective, and the implications of a rights-based approach in the design of constitutional clauses on issues such as taxes, debt and public spending.
Ignacio Saiz (CESR) highlighted the importance of the processes that Chile is undergoing for the Principles and Guidelines Initiative. Magdalena Sepúlveda (GI-ESCR) highlighted the importance of advocating for a new Constitution to include a perspective on both human rights and gender. Ignacio Silva (OPES) raised the need for thinking about the economy in new ways.
In turn, in their initial presentations, Sergio Chaparro (CESR) and Ricardo Martner (ECLAC) discussed the types of fiscal constitutional clauses that exist in Latin America, and possible ways to incorporate fiscal discussions in the Chilean constitutional reform. Environmental, feminist, human rights, and economic organizations shared their views on how to incorporate a rights-based approach to fiscal policies.
Now that Chileans have voted in favor of convening a constitutional convention to issue a new constitution with an overwhelming majority, human rights can be an invaluable tool to guide coming discussions. The Initiative for Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights in Fiscal Policy is developing a set of standards that systematize the human rights’ dimensions of fiscal policies that and can shed light into future constitutional debates.
More information on the Initiative is available here.
Photo: Pablo Recio/ Marta Jurado. 65.ymas.com