The territorial development policy of the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) was created in 2003 in the Government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, based on the need to build a contemporary rural development strategy, which should present a new perspective on Brazil rural life, diversity and sustainable development. In this way, the rural territories defined as that space where multidimensional criteria facilitate social, cultural and territorial cohesion were created, and they explicitly or implicitly reflect the predominance of rural elements (BRASIL, 2003). With the rural territories the Territorial Development Collegial bodies (CODETER) were also created, formed with the representation of civil society and public authorities. This article intends to describe how the territorial development policy was structured in the Campos de Cima da Serra Rural Territory (TRCCS) and to analyze the role of the Thematic Chambers (CTs) as an instrument of public action in the CODETER of TRCCS in Rio Grande do Sul (RS). The CTPF and the CTA were created based on the demand of the actors involved in the TRCCS who made a diagnosis of the main topics to be discussed. Both the CTPF and the CTA gave opportunities to civil society and public authorities to experience a new model of governance that stimulates political participation, enables social inclusion and autonomy, and opens the door to discussion, analysis, formulation and planning of new public policies consistent with the reality of TRCCS.Keywords: public policies; rural development; Rural Territory.BOZIKI, Damiane Maria; BINKOWSKI, Patrícia; HERNANDEZ, Aline Reis Calvo. A política de desenvolvimento territorial e os instrumentos de ação pública no território rural Campos de Cima da Serra, Rio Grande do Sul. Estudos Sociedade e Agricultura, v. 27, n. 2, p. 307-327, jun. 2019.Submitted in march 2019.Accepted in may 2019.