Human rights observatories in Latin America

state of the art and proposal for an academic model in Ecuador

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12662/2447-6641oj.v22i41.p212-237.2024

Keywords:

human rights, academic observatory, human rights observatory, protection, Latin America

Abstract

Objective: This article analyzes studies on human rights observatories in Latin America, characterizing these organizations and highlighting their role in promoting and protecting human rights, with a specific focus on the Ecuadorian context.

Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative approach based on a documentary review, the hermeneutic-heuristic method, and categorical analysis. A database was also developed to classify human rights observatories across Latin America.

Results: The findings reveal a significant diversity of human rights observatories in Latin America in terms of types, missions, target audiences, and approaches to monitored rights. However, academic observatories—those affiliated with higher education institutions—are notably scarce in Ecuador and the broader region. Furthermore, studies analyzing these observatories as research units remain limited. This gap highlights the need to establish academic observatories to strengthen the monitoring, protection, and teaching-learning processes related to human rights. In Ecuador, the existing constitutional and legal framework provides robust support for their creation and development.

Contributions: This article systematizes research on human rights observatories in Latin America and provides a comprehensive characterization of these organizations. It advocates for the establishment of academic observatories in Ecuador as essential tools for human rights monitoring and protection. By doing so, the study enriches the existing literature and offers practical insights to guide the implementation and sustainability of such observatories.

Author Biographies

Víctor Jácome , Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo

Dr. Historia Latinoamericana por la Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Ecuador y Maestro en Antropología por la Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Flacso. Profesor e investigador en la Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo. Coordinador del proyecto de investigación “Creación e implementación del Observatorio Académico de Derechos Humanos de Ecuador” aprobado en la Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, código 84-CIV-4-4-2024. Riobamba, Chimborazo, EC. 

Edison Bonifaz , Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo

Magíster en Docencia Universitaria y Administración Educativa y Especialista en Diseño Curricular por Competencias por la Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ecuador. Profesor e investigador en la Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo. Investigador del proyecto código 84-CIV-4-4-2024. Riobamba, Chimborazo, EC.

Leslit Machuca, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo

Máster Universitario en Derecho Constitucional por la Universidad de Sevilla, España y Máster Universitario de Derecho de la Empresa y la Contratación por la Universitat Rovira i Virgili, España. Profesora e investigadora en la Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo. Investigadora del proyecto código 84-CIV-4-4-2024.

Published

2024-12-30

How to Cite

JÁCOME , Víctor; BONIFAZ , Edison; MACHUCA, Leslit. Human rights observatories in Latin America: state of the art and proposal for an academic model in Ecuador. Revista Opinião Jurídica (Fortaleza), Fortaleza, v. 22, n. 41, p. 212–237, 2024. DOI: 10.12662/2447-6641oj.v22i41.p212-237.2024. Disponível em: https://periodicos.unichristus.edu.br/opiniaojuridica/article/view/5465. Acesso em: 5 feb. 2025.

Issue

Section

Artigos Originais