Peru - Digital Transformation in Consulates (32082/2024)

Overview

Law No. 32082, titled "Law that provides for the progressive implementation of digital transformation in the consular offices of Peru," was published on 2 July 2024 and requires the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to progressively digitalize consular functions. The law formally recognizes emerging technologies — explicitly naming artificial intelligence — and instructs their ethical, sustainable and responsible use to ensure permanent, efficient, transparent and timely public services for Peruvians at home and abroad. For the official text see Law No. 32082 (El Peruano - publication) and the Congressional norm page Congress of the Republic – Law N° 32082.

Definitions

The law defines key terms used for implementation: "digital transformation" (progressive adoption of digital systems and processes to deliver public services), "Mesas de Partes Digitales" (digital intake platforms for administrative submissions), "interoperability" (technical, legal, organizational and semantic ability to exchange and use information across platforms), "emerging technologies" (including but not limited to AI, machine learning and automation), and "ethical use" (deployment consistent with rights, transparency and data protection standards). The law references applicable administrative procedure rules (Law N° 27444) and national government digital policy instruments that shape definitions and operational meanings.

Governance and Institutional Framework

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores) is the primary implementing authority and must coordinate with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, specifically the Secretariat for Government and Digital Transformation, to issue implementation lineamientos, procedures and directives. The law requires the Directorate General for Peruvian Communities Abroad and Consular Affairs (Dirección General de Comunidades Peruanas en el Exterior y Asuntos Consulares) to operationalize technical and administrative measures, define roles for consular staff, and coordinate procurement and IT deployments. The Executive promulgated a regulation to operationalize the law through Decreto Supremo N° 015-2025-RE, which details chapters on institutional responsibilities, implementation phases, monitoring and transitional arrangements.

Key Focus Areas

The law concentrates implementation around several interlocking areas: (1) Digital intake and processing: mandatory deployment of Mesas de Partes Digitales or use of the national Plataforma Facilita Perú where a consulate lacks an own system; (2) Interoperability: adoption of technical and semantic standards to allow secure data exchange with national platforms and state registries; (3) Ethical AI: explicit safeguards for the use of artificial intelligence including non-discrimination, transparency, auditability and human oversight; (4) Data protection and privacy: compliance with Peruvian data protection obligations for handling personal data of nationals and third parties; (5) Accessibility: preferential treatment and accessible interfaces for persons with disabilities and communities with critical population concentrations; (6) Continuity of service: measures to ensure service permanence and contingency planning; and (7) Security: baseline cybersecurity and incident response obligations for consular IT systems.

Implementation Framework

The law requires the Ministry to issue lineamientos, procedures, methodologies and directives within the term established by the statute (the law sets a short term for issuance of operational rules and the Regulation expands details). Implementation is progressive and phased: priority is given to consulates with high demand and critical population clusters. Where a consulate cannot immediately implement a local digital intake, it may adopt the national Plataforma Facilita Perú as an interim measure in accordance with Law N° 31170. Consular procedures must integrate with the TUPA and be processed within the deadlines in Law N° 27444. The regulation outlines five chapters addressing planning, technical standards, organizational modernization, monitoring and transitional provisions (Decreto Supremo N° 015-2025-RE).

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring duties fall to the Ministry’s consular directorate in coordination with PCM’s Secretariat for Government and Digital Transformation. The law and its regulation require periodic reporting on implementation progress, indicators for service quality (timeliness, accessibility, user satisfaction), and technical compliance with interoperability and cybersecurity standards. The regulation provides for the publication of progress reports in the Ministry’s digital sede and integration of monitoring metrics into the national digital transformation dashboards to allow executive oversight and international reporting.

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

Enforcement is primarily administrative: failures to implement may trigger corrective measures, administrative sanctions defined under public employment and administrative law, suspension of services until corrective action is taken, and referral to competent oversight bodies. The law ties procedural rights to the Texto Único de Procedimientos Administrativos (Law N° 27444) for appeals and administrative review. Where third-party service providers are involved, contractual remedies and liability regimes apply to ensure compliance with data protection, security and continuity obligations.

Relationship to Other Instruments

Law No. 32082 is connected to several existing instruments: Law N° 27444 (Ley de Procedimiento Administrativo General) for processing and appeals; Law N° 31170 (Plataforma Facilita Perú) for national digital intake options; national data protection rules and regulations; and the Executive’s implementing regulation Decreto Supremo N° 015-2025-RE. The law also references national digital government policy and interoperability standards promoted by PCM and other sector regulators.

International Alignment

Law No. 32082 explicitly frames consular digital modernization within international cooperation and standards, noting the benefits of interoperability for cross-border consular assistance and the need to adopt ethical AI practices consistent with global guidelines. The Ministry’s communications note a contribution to Peru’s digital policy positioning in international fora, including efforts to align with OECD expectations on digital government and AI ethics. This alignment supports cross-border data exchange, consular cooperation and adoption of recognized best practices in AI governance.

Implementation Timeline

Sources and References