In Chile’s Ñuble and La Araucanía regions, the United Nations is helping bring digital transformation closer to rural and Indigenous communities. Under the Connected Communities initiative, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Chile, together with several UN agencies and government actors, held the first sessions of the Regional Technical Committees to advance inclusive and equitable digital development.
These committees, which will meet semi-annually, aim to strengthen local implementation, ensure alignment with regional development plans, and secure meaningful engagement from authorities, local organizations, and the communities themselves.
The first session took place in Chillán, Ñuble, on March 26. Regional Governor Óscar Crisóstomo emphasized the program’s rural focus:
“This programme targets rural areas, which will support not only productive and economic development but also social wellbeing and healthcare. We will install 50 antennas across Ñuble and La Araucanía to boost connectivity. It’s a shared effort we’re undertaking following the 2023 post-wildfire assessments.”
The second session followed on April 3 in La Araucanía, where Governor René Saffirio praised the initiative’s integrated approach:
“This project has a comprehensive focus that not only improves our region’s digital infrastructure but also enables our rural and Indigenous communities to access new tools that will transform their growth and development capacity.”
María José Torres, UN Resident Coordinator in Chile, underscored the importance of a locally rooted approach:
“With Connected Communities, we are present in the territories, working with local relevance, listening to communities, and acting in partnership with regional governments. Digital transformation must leave no one behind—it must be built from the ground up, with a focus on gender, inclusion, and sustainability.”
About the Connected Communities Project
Led by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Chile and implemented with support from FAO, ECLAC, UN Women, PAHO/WHO, and the International Telecommunication Union, the Connected Communities project is backed by the Joint SDG Fund with a $3 million investment. It is implemented in collaboration with national and regional government bodies and private sector partners.
The initiative is structured around five strategic pillars:
- Digital Connectivity: Installing infrastructure to extend broadband access to rural areas, benefiting more than 8,500 people through at least 50 new connectivity points and mechanisms for sustained internet access.
- Capacity Building: Providing digital skills training tailored to sustainable production and e-commerce for over 2,000 smallholder farmers, women, youth, and Indigenous communities to support their inclusion in the digital economy.
- Social Protection and Health: Delivering digital tools training and implementing telehealth services in rural areas, reaching more than 25,000 people who previously had limited access to such services.
- Public-Private Collaboration: Promoting digital infrastructure investment through public-private partnerships to develop innovative technology solutions that meet rural communities’ needs.
- Gender and Indigenous Inclusion: Ensuring the cross-cutting integration of gender equality and cultural diversity by training at least 1,100 rural and Indigenous women in digital platforms, fostering their economic autonomy and leadership.
During both regional visits, the UN Chile delegation also met with local stakeholders, including the Intersectoral Women's Roundtable, CORFO, INDAP, and Plan Buen Vivir teams. Field visits allowed them to witness firsthand how digital connectivity is opening new opportunities in agriculture and community services.
These efforts reaffirm UN Chile’s commitment to a more equitable, resilient, and people-centered approach to digital development, one that bridges divides and unlocks opportunity in even the most remote areas.
Originally published by UN Chile.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
