Chile has been an active member of the United Nations since the 24th of October, 1945, after signing the UN Charter in San Francisco, along with fifty other founding countries. Chile has been a strong supporter of United Nations peacekeeping operations, currently contributing to peacekeeping task forces by providing troops, UN officers and support services in India and Pakistan, the Middle East, Cyprus, Haiti, Timor and Leste, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations was established to assist the country in achieving its foreign policy goals by representing the Government of Chile to the United Nations.

The fundamental elements of Chilean policy towards the United Nations are:

Highlight the commitment to human rights, democracy and gender equality

Ratify the work of the UN by maintaining international peace and security

Support the United Nations global efforts to promote sustainable development

Contribute to efforts to offset climate change

Support the United Nations collective action

Contribute to the Agenda for Economic and Social Development of the UN

The Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) was established in 1948 and is situated in Santiago, Chile. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also has a regional office in Chile.

Along with being a member of the United Nations, Chile is a founding member of the Union of South America and was the first South American nation to become part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).