thiscouldbeaneventual distinction between Stateandlocalelections. 343.Therepresentative assured themembers thathewouldinformhisGovernment of theimportance theCommitte~ attached toarticle 14oftheConventio", andwould informthemoftheresultofanydecision takenonthissubject. Chile 344.TheCommittee considered theeighthperiodic reportofChile (CERD/C/148/Add.4) atits846thmeeting, heldon17August1989(CERD/C/SR.846). 345.Inintroducing thereport, therepresentative oftheStatepartyreaffirm.d theattachment oftheGovernment oCChiletothevalue.established inthe Convention anditsconfidence inthedialogu~ withtheCommittee. Racial discrimination wastotally unknown inChile,whereallthefundamental humanri9ht. wererocognized forallthecountry's inhabitants without exception. Inaddition, thecountry's foreign policywasbasedonthe~rincip1••of~qualit~ andChilewa. apartytonumerous instruments whosep\\rpose wastoguarantee theab••nceofracialdiscrimination andthatcondemned allforms o~racism. Chl1vhadalways condemned racism, theapartheid regime, thebantustani~ation policyand discrimination ingeneral. 346.Chilehadnosocialcategories basedonethnicorigin. culture orreligion. Thedescendants oftheindigenous populations todayenjoyed thesamerightsasall thecitiaens oftheRepUblic andwerealsogivenspecial assistance bythe Government, whichhadalready beendescribed indetail. Inthatcontext, he informed theCommittee abouttherelevant legislation andtheinstitutions and associations aimedatpromoting thedevelopment oftheindigenous populations. 347. Durin~thetransitional periodprovided forinthe1980Constitution, the Government hadstriven tocreatetheinstitutions required forthefullrestoration ofademocratic andpluralist regime, inpreparation forthepresidential and legislative elections scheduled for11March1990. 148.Heinformed thecommittee ofthearrangements forandresults ofthe plebiscite thathadtakenplaceunderthebestpossible conditions ofopenness in October 1988. Healsodrewattention tothevisits, beginning in1985,ofthe Special Rapporteur oftheCommission onHumanRights, whichhaemarkedthe resumption oftheChilean Government's co-operation withtheUnitedNations. Mr.VolloJimenea's seven repo~ts showedthatrealprogress hadbeenmadeandthat thesituation hadimproved appreciably, although muchstillremained tobedone bothbytheGovernment andbytheopposition. 349.Thestateofemergency andthestateofalerthadbeenliftedonceandforall throughout thecountry bysupreme decrees oftheMinistry oftheInterior dated 27August 1988.Withtheendofthestatesofemergency, thecountry hadentered a phaseoflegalnormalization inwhichalltheconstitutional provisions concerning humanrightsandfundamental freedoms werefullyapplied. 350,Members ottheCommittee, aft~rthanking theGovernment ofChileand ~ts representative fortheeighthperiodic reportandtheadditional information provided, drewattention totheposition repeatedly adopted bytheUnitedNations bodieswithrespect toviolations ofhumanrightsbythemilitary Government during thelastdecadeandpointed outthatthissituation hadalsobeenasourceof serious concern formembers ofCERDsincetheyfeltthattheviolations ofhuman rightshadaffected theimplementation oftheConvention byth~Government. In thisregard, members recalled Commission onHumanRightsresolution 1989/62 of 8March1989,inwhichtheCommission hadonceagainexpressed concern overthe serious violation ofhumanrightsandhadrequested theGovernment ofChiletoput anendtothissituation andtotake appropri.~te measures fortherestoration of theruleoflawinChileaswellasfortheprotection andpromotion ofhuman rightsandfundamental freedoms. Itwas~lsoremarked that,inviewofthe consequences ofthe6ituation thathadprevailed inChilesomeY6arspreviously, therewasreasontodoubttheveracity oftheinformation furnished bythe Government ofChileconcerning theprotection ofhumanrights, Atthesametimeit waHsaidthatsomeimprovement hadbeennoticeable inthepastfewmonths. 351.Concerning article 2oftheConvention andreferring tothelatestreportof theSpecial Rapporteur oftheCommission onHumanRights, members askedformor~ detailed information ontherealland-ownerShip situation oftheMapuche. With respect tothefreelegalassistance granted toindig~nous populations, they requested moredetailed information onthetypeandnumberofcasesdealtwithby -68-thelawyers whodefended suchpersons andonthequestion whether thoselawyers woulddefendtheindigenous populations freeofchargeincasesotherthantheland casesmentioned inparagraph 20ofthereport. Theyalsoaskedforinformation on
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a report on the human rights situation in Chile, specifically regarding racial discrimination and the treatment of indigenous populations. It discusses the country's laws, institutions, and policies aimed at promoting the development and protection of indigenous peoples. The report also touches on the country's transition from a military government to a democratic one and the efforts made to restore human rights.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Human rights