UN human rights expert visits Chile in the midst of the education reform process

GENEVA / SANTIAGO (23 March 2016) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Kishore Singh, will undertake an official visit to Chile from 28 March to 4 April 2016 to examine the right to education in its multiple dimensions, in the context of recent transformations in the education environment in the country.

“I will look closely into the ongoing process of education reforms, the evolving framework of the national legal system on the right to education and its implementation along with human rights standards,” Mr. Singh said launching his first official visit to the country.

“During my eight-day mission, my assessment of the efforts being undertaken by Chile to comply with international obligations will focus on the principles of non-discrimination, equality of opportunity, quality and education as a public good, which help safeguard education against privatization,” the Special Rapporteur noted.
 
Mr. Singh, who visits Chile at the invitation of the Government, will travel to Santiago and Antofagasta, where he will meet with Government officials and representatives of civil society organizations, including non-governmental organizations.

The human rights expert will also visit schools at various levels, as well as higher education establishment, to meet with educators, academics, students and teachers’ representatives.

On 4 April 2016 at 12:00 pm, the Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Celso Furtado Room, to share with the media his preliminary observations on the visit. Access to the press conference is strictly limited to journalists.

A comprehensive report to the UN Human Rights Council will present the development of the visit, with findings and recommendations.

Mr. Kishore Singh (India), the Special Rapporteur on the right to education since August 2010, is a professor specialized in international law who has worked for many years with UNESCO for the promotion of the right to education, and advised a number of international, regional and national bodies on right to education issues. Throughout his career, Mr. Singh has supported the development of the right to education in its various dimensions and worked to promote better understanding of this right as an internationally recognized right. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Education/SREducation/Pages/SREducationIndex.aspx

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, Country Page – Chile: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/LACRegion/Pages/CLIndex.aspx

OHCHR Regional Office, Chile: http://acnudh.org/en/home/

For inquiries and media requests, please contact:
In Santiago (during the visit): Leire Agirreazkuenaga (+56 2 654 1032 / leire.agirreazkuenaga@undp.org)
In Geneva (before and after the visit): Lucía de la Sierra (+41 22 917 9741 / ldelasierra@ohchr.org) or write to sreducation@ochcr.org 

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)  

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