Minister participates in high-level meetings and emphasizes the need to strengthen multilateralism in the face of global challenges

Minister of Foreign Affairs Alberto van Klaveren continued with various activities at the United Nations, as part of the 79th General Assembly, which is taking place in New York.

He participated in a high-level panel on sustainable economy. The minister stressed that Chile seeks to contribute to the discussion to promote an ambitious agenda in this area, in line with the protection of the ocean. He stressed that it is crucial to fight illegal fishing and advance in transparency, with decisions that allow an equitable distribution for industrial and artisanal sectors.

"We promote the principle that in order to fish more, we must protect more. The sustainable use of ocean resources must be based on healthy ecosystems, which we must protect and preserve for future generations”, said the Minister.

Chile has actively participated in the global governance of the ocean, an example of which is the ratification of the BBNJ agreement on the protection of biodiversity in the high seas, which is essential for the future of the planet. For this reason, the minister emphasized that Chile has offered to host the secretariat of the agreement in Valparaíso.

Strengthening multilateralism

The Minister also led the VII Pacific Alliance - ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, together with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Enrique Manalo, where he emphasized the need to continue improving inter-regional cooperation in beneficial areas such as digital economy, promotion of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, inclusive trade, among others.

He also attended the II Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the G20. At the meeting, they discussed the challenges towards 2030. “We believe that multilateral work is essential to face the current food, logistics and humanitarian crisis,” said the Secretary of State, adding that ”we are convinced that only by working together can we face international turbulence and move towards sustainable development.”

In particular, he stressed that the country has collaborated in working groups on key issues; however, dialogue must be intensified to find innovative solutions to global problems.

He also spoke at a side event on the Pact for the Future and a feminist implementation of the 2030 Agenda, an initiative organized by the Group of Countries with Feminist Foreign Policies, which Chile is a founder of.

There, he highlighted that in the face of the emergence of trends that threaten women's rights, it is crucial to strengthen the commitment to gender equality. For this reason, Chile is strongly promoting a Feminist Foreign Policy.

“The full and meaningful participation of women generates more inclusive societies, stronger economies and resilient democracies,” said the minister. In this context, he called to “support the cause of Afghan women subjected to a true gender apartheid”.