Chile
1. Constitutional structure and position of IHL in domestic law
Under Article 32 of the Constitution, the President of the Republic of Chile is vested with the power to conclude, sign and ratify treaties which, under Article 50, must be approved by Congress. Once approved by Congress, treaties preempt domestic law.
Chile ratified the four Geneva Conventions on 12 October 1950, promulgated as Decree No. 752 of 1950 and published in the Diario Oficial of 17-20 April 1951.
The two Additional Protocols were ratified on 24 April 1991 and approved by Congress, promulgated as Decree No. 752 of 1991 and published in the Diario Oficial of 28 October 1991. On the same day, Chile accepted the competence of the International Fact-Finding Commission under Article 90 of Protocol I.
2. Implementing institution
The Interministerial Commission on Humanitarian Law was created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its Decree No. 1229 of 1994 
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Its mandate is to study and propose measures for effective implementation of international humanitarian law, including the drafting of statutes and regulations. It submits annual reports the President of the Republic.
Members of the Commission are representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Interior, Defence, Health, Education and Justice. The Head of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Commission's Chairman. The Commission may also request the assistance of experts and other State bodies.
The Chilean Commission and its Argentinian counterpart held a joint meeting in Buenos Aires on 17 and 18 April 1997.
3. Bibliography
- J. A. BURNEO LABRIN, "Le crime contre l'humanité et le crime de génocide: généalogie et étude de deux cas emblématiques lation-américains", Actualité du droit international humanitaire, Les dossiers de la Revue de droit pénal et de criminologie, No. 6, 2001, pp. 43-71.
- M. T. INFANTE CAFFI, "Los tratados en el derecho interno chileno: el efecto de la reforma constitucional de 1989 visto por la jurisprudencia", (1996) Revista Chilena de Derecho, Vol. 23, No. 2 & 3, Tomo I, pp. 277-297.
