Ley General de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información Pública
The Ley General de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información Pública (General Transparency and Public Information Access Law) establishes the right of all persons to access public information held by federal, state, and municipal government entities. The law created the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information, and Personal Data Protection (INAI) as an autonomous constitutional body. It requires proactive disclosure of government information, establishes procedures for individual information requests, and protects personal data held by public entities.
Legal area: Administrative law governs the organization, powers, and accountability of government institutions and public administration.
Year enacted: 2015
Full text: https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/htm/ley_general_transparencia.htm
Key Provisions
- Art. 5: Right of access to public information (derecho de acceso a la información pública)
- Art. 7: Proactive disclosure (publicidad proactiva)
- Art. 8-14: Obligations of government entities to disclose information
- Art. 25-30: Procedures for information requests (solicitudes de información)
- Art. 37-43: Exemptions and exceptions (excepciones al derecho de acceso)
- Art. 44-50: INAI powers and functions
- Art. 64-68: Personal data protection (protección de datos personales)
Significance
The Transparency Law was enacted to implement the constitutional reform of 2013 that recognized access to public information as a fundamental right. The INAI has become a key institution in Mexico’s anti-corruption and accountability framework. The law’s proactive disclosure requirements have significantly increased government transparency. However, implementation challenges remain, particularly at the state and municipal levels.