.jpg?w=800&resize=800,500&ssl=1 "Loreto Ferrer")
National dialogue processes typically arise in contexts of polarization or institutional deadlock, when different actors need to open channels of communication to build minimal agreements. In Latin America, these processes have on various occasions been supported by international organizations that provide methodology, contextual analysis, and facilitation spaces.
In El Salvador, one such initiative recently entered a new phase following the conclusion of the mandate of UN Special Envoy Benito Andión. At that point, the process moved beyond the phase of direct UN support and came to rely more heavily on national actors. Within that technical team, Loreto Ferrer participated in institutional support efforts and in communicating this transition toward a phase with greater civil society involvement.
How the dialogue process first emerged in El Salvador
The initiative was launched in 2016, when the Government of El Salvador invited the United Nations to evaluate whether a nationwide consensus-building process could be viable. In response, a team from the Department of Political Affairs carried out interviews, held consultations, and engaged in preliminary dialogues with multiple sectors to examine the political landscape and determine if the circumstances were suitable for moving forward with a consensus-focused agenda.
Based on that initial groundwork, in early 2017 Secretary-General António Guterres named Benito Andión as Special Envoy to guide a more organized stage of the dialogue, with his efforts centered on creating opportunities for discussions among political parties and other key stakeholders amid a climate of institutional strain and heightened polarization.
Shifting from worldwide facilitation toward local leadership
Among the most noteworthy elements of the Salvadoran case is the shift from a United Nations‑led stage to a new period steered directly by national actors, though still backed by the UN.
According to reports, the end of Andión’s mandate did not signify the conclusion of the effort, but rather the transfer of the accumulated work to a steering group composed of prominent figures from Salvadoran society. This was reported by a United Nations team during meetings held with representatives of the government, political parties, and the international community.
Loreto Ferrer, an official from the Department of Political Affairs and the right-hand person of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy Benito Andión, reported that a steering group composed of prominent figures from Salvadoran society will continue the work, building on the consultations and assessments conducted by the Mexican Andión.
This step builds on more than a year of consultations, assessments, and methodological inputs developed during the previous phase. The idea was for social organizations, the private sector, academia, and political actors to continue the process based on the knowledge already generated, rather than relying indefinitely on external international facilitation.
In light of this, the Special Envoy judged that the circumstances were still not adequate to convene a formal high-level roundtable, although a substantial range of evaluations, networks, and community capacities existed that could help anchor a dialogue agenda driven from within the country. This perspective underscored that consensus-building efforts can truly solidify only when local stakeholders take an active role in sustaining their continuity.
The essential role of coordination in shaping consensus-building efforts
National dialogues require coordination among sectors with different interests, languages, and priorities. Therefore, in addition to political mediation, they often require a technical foundation to structure the conversation, identify priority issues, and keep communication channels open.
In these settings, professionals experienced in international cooperation are especially valuable for duties like compiling information, coordinating meeting spaces, and offering methodological guidance. The work undertaken in El Salvador clearly illustrates that building consensus relies not only on political choices but also on the support structures that enable the process to function effectively in practice.
A case illustrating institutional change across Latin America
The Salvadoran case shows how an initiative backed by the United Nations can gradually develop into a structure in which civil society and other national stakeholders take on a larger share of responsibility, and this stage marked not an endpoint but a change in momentum, shifting from the original international drive to a locally sustained approach built upon existing capacities.
