The Diplomat
With the aim of advancing transparency and understanding by citizens, the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) yesterday launched the Pan-Hispanic Guide to Clear and Accessible Language, together with the Association of Spanish Language Academies (ASALE) and the Ibero-American General Secretariat.
The main idea is to underpin clear and accessible language as a foundation of democratic values and to promote the commitment of the authorities to its use.
The document was presented during the 1st Convention of the Pan-Hispanic Network of Plain Language, held at the Royal Spanish Academy, Madrid, on 20 and 21 May, which also presented the Pan-Hispanic Network of Plain Language, promoted by the RAE and set up in Santiago de Chile in 2022, with the same purpose, to promote a consensus on standards for clear, understandable and accessible language. The Network is free to join and is made up of 200 Ibero-American institutions.
“The Ibero-American General Secretariat is convinced that the use of clear and understandable language is fundamental for democratic life,” said the Ibero-American Secretary General, Andrés Allamand, during the closing ceremony of the event.
During his speech Allamand also pointed out how important it is to regain trust in institutions, and to demonstrate that democracy is preferable to any other form of government. To this end, he pointed out that “it is essential to ensure that the actions of the authorities and institutions are understandable to those to whom they are addressed, which is achieved by using a language whose main objective is to achieve citizen understanding. Language must be the first step, it must be consolidated as a facilitator and not an obstacle to life in society.
