They are an organization that was legally established on October 31, 2012 to contribute to the strengthening of local economic development, through public-private partnership between local governments, unions, environmental associations, tourism and producer cooperatives, improving the living conditions of the population in the department of La Unión, with equity and respecting the environment.

ADEL La Unión arises thanks to the support of the ART El Salvador Program of the UNDP, initially requested by the Undersecretary of Development and Decentralization (SSDT) ​​and, successively, by the Technical Secretary of the Presidency (STP). In particular, the UNDP/ART El Salvador Program, during the end of 2011 and all of 2012, supported technical assistance to learn about the experiences of Local Economic Development Agencies in Latin America, identify and organize the institutions of the productive fabric in the Department of La Unión, with the purpose of establishing a public-private mechanism that becomes a reference for economic issues in the territory and, finally, establishing, legalizing and launching ADEL La Unión.