In 2008 a group of civic and governmental leaders came together to encourage the Government of El Salvador to support the approval by the National Assembly, the country’s first national access to public information law, an integral component in the fight against corruption.

The Democracy Strengthening Program (DSP), a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded initiative administered by DI Development, partnered with the people of El Salvador on the initiative. Thanks to DSP support, Salvadoran society is ready to welcome this important milestone.

Working Hand-in-Hand to Draft New Legislation

Transparency and access to information is essential to creating effective rule of law and strengthening democratic institutions. El Salvador’s Access to Information Law Promoting Group, the leaders’ collaboration known locally as Grupo Promotor, has been working hand-in-hand with DSP since 2008 to draft a proposal titled Access to Public Information Law (APIL). From the start, the tactic was to relentlessly educate the government on the importance of passing this law.

First, a grant was awarded by the former DI Development’s Transparency and Governance Program (TAG) to the   lberoamerican Institute of Constitutional Rights (Institute lberoamericano de Derecho Constitucional-IIDC). IIDC then partnered with the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES), who in turn opened the draft proposal to citizens’ review.

A Long Battle toward a Significant Achievement

Once draft of the proposed law was completed, it was submitted to the National Assembly. The approval was delayed several times, including during a national electoral period.

The law was finally approved in December 2010 and ratified in March 2011 – a major victory for citizens’ rights that received 81 out of 84 votes. The APIL will officially be enacted in May 2012.

Under the new law, Salvadorans will have more opportunities to exercise social audit and control and verify public administration performance. The APIL is the first milestone toward more transparent governance in El Salvador, allowing greater citizen participation and control.

It is a significant achievement for DSP that for many years unremittingly supported the initiative.