Advancing Environmental Access Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean

Research conducted by Olmos Giupponi has had substantial transnational and national impact
through the adoption of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation
and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean – also known as the
Escazú Agreement (EA). Her research informed legal discussion on the Agreement and
contributed to its draft, and the preparations for its implementation. Her research has also
informed Argentina and Costa Rica’s ratification of the EA and was cited in evidence for its
ratification. Concurrently, her research expertise has helped guide the implementation of the
Escazú Agreement and environmental justice in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Costa Rica;
through training and the provision of guidelines, and by raising awareness about environmental
access rights in the Latin American region.

Olmos Giupponi’s research and expertise have impacted Latin America and Caribbean countries
(LAC) through the adoption of ‘The Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public
Participation, and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean’ [S1] -
better known as the Escazú Agreement (EA). Olmos Giupponi critically analysed the provisions
of the EA and challenges of its implementation [R1], as well as investigating alternative and
informal methods to resolve environmental conflicts [R2, R3].
The national implementation strategies, designed by Olmos Giupponi and ECLAC, are being
enacted and will be the foundation of the full impact of the EA. The EA was adopted in 2018,
received the necessary national ratifications in 2020, and its implementation has begun.
Impact on the Drafting, Implementation Procedure, and Ratification of the Escazú Agreement
Olmos Giupponi’s research has had transnational impact, particularly in the Caribbean, Costa
Rica, Chile and Argentina; where her work supported the adoption and implementation of the
EA. Prior to the adoption of the EA, her participation in discussions of specific chapters of the
treaty, such as on Environmental Justice, and the issuance of guidelines [S2] to facilitate the
implementation of the treaty in the region brought implementation-related issues to the attention
of governments who then made new provisions to ensure their policies were effective. T