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| Dirección General de Relaciones Económicas Internacionales (DIRECON) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dirección General de Relaciones Económicas Internacionales (DIRECON) |
| Native name | Dirección General de Relaciones Económicas Internacionales |
| Formed | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Jurisdiction | Chile |
| Parent agency | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Chief1 name | Jorge Hevia |
Dirección General de Relaciones Económicas Internacionales (DIRECON) is a Chilean public institution responsible for coordinating Chile's external economic policy, negotiating trade agreements, and representing Chile in multilateral forums. It operates within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs framework and liaises with ministries such as Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, and agencies including ProChile, Banco Central de Chile, and Servicio Nacional de Aduanas. DIRECON engages with regional blocs and fora such as the Pacific Alliance, Mercosur, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
DIRECON was created during the administration of Michelle Bachelet as part of a restructuring that involved the consolidation of economic diplomacy functions previously dispersed among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Tourism, and Chilean delegations to organizations like the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Early institutional design drew on precedents from countries such as Mexico, Peru, Canada, and New Zealand where specialized directorates for trade diplomacy existed. Key milestones include participation in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, expansion of bilateral accords with China, United States, European Union, and accession talks in regional arrangements such as with the Comunidad Andina and observer interactions with Association of Southeast Asian Nations states. Leadership changes have involved figures connected to policy networks including alumni of Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, University of Chile, and international posts in Santiago de Chile missions.
DIRECON's mandate encompasses negotiation of free trade agreements, coordination of trade policy with the Ministry of Finance and ProChile, and technical representation in bodies like the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Monetary Fund. It prepares Chilean positions for summits such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings and for bilateral ministerial consultations with countries like Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, United States, and European Union. Additional functions include legal drafting for treaty texts related to investment protection, intellectual property accords linked to the World Intellectual Property Organization, and services coordination with the Servicio Nacional de Aduanas and Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros.
The institution is organized into directorates and divisions handling bilateral relations, multilateral trade, legal affairs, negotiation coordination, and trade policy analysis. Units coordinate with Chilean diplomatic missions to Beijing, Washington, D.C., Brussels, Buenos Aires, Lima, and Tokyo. It maintains technical teams that interact with the Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas for research collaboration and with think tanks such as the Centro de Estudios Públicos, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, and international partners like Chatham House, Brookings Institution, and Peterson Institute for International Economics. Internal governance follows norms tied to presidential directives from administrations of Sebastián Piñera and Michelle Bachelet.
DIRECON has been central to negotiating and implementing multiple accords including bilateral treaties with China, United States, South Korea, Japan, and multilateral frameworks like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and trade arrangements with the European Union. It led technical teams in modernization talks for agreements with Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and engagement in tariff and non-tariff barrier discussions within Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance. The directorate also managed Chile’s stance in investment treaty renegotiations connected to arbitration mechanisms like those under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and in intellectual property chapters aligned with World Intellectual Property Organization norms.
DIRECON maintains cooperation with international organizations including the World Trade Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and regional organizations such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands Forum for outreach. Bilateral capacity-building projects have involved agencies like United States Agency for International Development, Japan International Cooperation Agency, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and European Commission programs. It also partners with national agencies such as ProChile, BancoEstado, and research institutions including Universidad de Santiago de Chile and Universidad Diego Portales.
DIRECON has influenced Chile’s export diversification strategies affecting sectors tied to Comité de Inversiones Extranjeras data, including mining links with Codelco, agricultural ties to exporters represented by ASOEX, and services negotiations impacting digital trade with companies headquartered in Silicon Valley. Initiatives include frameworks for small and medium enterprise integration into global value chains, technical assistance projects with Inter-American Development Bank, and advocacy for rules on e-commerce aligned with World Trade Organization discussions. Its policy outputs have shaped tariff schedules, sanitary and phytosanitary measures coordinated with the World Organisation for Animal Health, and dispute settlement strategies before the World Trade Organization panels.
Critiques have arisen from labor organizations such as Central Unitaria de Trabajadores and environmental groups like Greenpeace over perceived prioritization of investor protections in agreements tied to sectors represented by Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura. Allegations of limited domestic consultation involved civil society networks including Observatorio Ciudadano and academic critics from Universidad de Chile faculties. Controversies have also concerned arbitration clauses related to International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes cases and transparency debates echoed in forums like Open Government Partnership discussions and sessions of the Senate of Chile.
Category:Government agencies of Chile Category:Foreign relations of Chile Category:International trade organizations