Access to Public Information Agency: organizations request a meeting with the Chief of Staff to promote new authority
Civil society organizations asked the Chief of Staff, Santiago Cafiero, a meeting to discuss the need to start as soon as possible a new selection process for the highest authority of the Agency for Access to Public Information of the Executive Branch of the Nation, vacant position since January 1, 2021.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”
A group of organizations made up of the Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ), the Regional Alliance for Free Expression and Information, Network Democracy, Legislative Directory, the Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies, Citizen Power and the Fundación Vía Libre, this June 18 sent a request for a meeting to the Chief of Staff to express the need for the Access to Public Information Agency to once again have a Director formally designated for that role.
After the selection process that began in February and whose public hearing took place on March 23, the Executive Power did not advance with the first proposed candidacy. Faced with this situation, Law 27,275 establishes that the deadline to start the selection procedure again is 30 days, a period that has already been exceeded.
The Access to Public Information Agency is a fundamental institution for the democratic system, which is why the absence of its highest authority threatens its proper functioning and, consequently, the exercise of its functions. Among these, the role of ensuring full transparency of all the institutions and entities under the orbit of the Executive Power stands out (which is achieved by centralized and decentralized public administration bodies, public companies and with state participation, public service concessionaires, State contractors, among others). In turn, it must ensure the protection of the right to privacy and the full application of the Law on Protection of Personal Data.
In their letter, the organizations highlight the importance of creating open instances to discuss the profile required for the person who is proposed, and that this leads to the prompt appointment of a new authority and the consequent normalization of the operation of the the Agency for Access to Public Information.
I accessed the letter here.
