The Guarantor Body of the Right of Access to Information (OGDAI) organised a work group to share information about lessons learned and challenges facing Buenos Aires concerning the Municipal Transparency Management Model drafted by the Network of Transparency and Access to Information and the EU EUROsociAL+ Programme.
Foto: OGDAI de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires
On 25 March, a work group met to share information about lessons learned, contributions and challenges facing the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires to the Municipal Transparency Management Model. The initiative was organised by the RTA with support from EUROsociAL+ to improve transparency and access to public information in the municipalities of Latin America through the design and development of a model for RTA member countries.
Authorities from the three powers of the City of Buenos Aires and those responsible for access to public information of the Nation, delegates from the European Union and EUROsociAL+, experts and members of the Transparency and Access to Information Network (RTA), specialists from the Latin American Development Bank (CAF), from the Inter American Development Bank (BID), and representatives of towns from inland Argentina attended the initiative.
The meeting was held in the Presidente Alfonsín Hall of the City Legislature, in a hybrid format. The attendees were joined by 28 on-line participants. The event began with a short introduction by María Gracia Andía, head of the OGDAI; Luca Pierantoni, head of the Cooperation Section of the European Union Delegation in Argentina, and Gastón Corti, Secretary of Citizen Development of the Deputy Head of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires. Blanca Lilia Ibarra, president of the RTA and president commissioner of the INAI of Mexico then gave a virtual presentation in which she stressed the importance of improving performance evaluation regarding the administration of public resources to improve transparency and share information.
Next, Raúl Ferrada, an expert from the EUROsociAL+ Programme gave a virtual presentation on municipal transparency in the City of Buenos Aires and the RTA’s Municipal Transparency Model. He talked about the city’s good practices in terms of Open Data and publication of information. Next to speak was María Gracia Andía, who analysed the challenges and opportunities of the transparency model for the municipalities of Argentina. She highlighted the institutional characteristics of the Argentine federal system in terms of Access to Public Information, with its different legislations and powers, and progress made by the City of Buenos Aires.
This was followed by a question and answer session. The event concluded with some words from Borja Díaz Rivillas, head of good governance in the Democratic Governance Area of EUROsociAL+ at the FIIAPP, and María Gracia Andía.
