Ecuador

Ecuador’s engagement with international law demonstrates how States with limited geopolitical influence can still shape legal norms and jurisprudence. This chapter explores Ecuador’s participation in transnational adjudication, human rights litigation, and investment disputes, highlighting its role in global legal frameworks. From an early claims commission in the 19th century to landmark human rights cases before the Inter-American Court, Ecuador has advanced legal principles on Indigenous rights, sexual violence, and asylum. In investment law, Ecuador’s departure from and return to the ICSID Convention reflect broader tensions between State sovereignty and investor protections. Additionally, Ecuador has played a key role in reimagining corporate responsibility and climate action in international law, mainly through its leadership in negotiating a binding treaty on business and human rights and its Net Avoided Emissions proposal. These efforts illustrate how smaller States can exert meaningful influence on international legal developments, challenging the notion that global legal discourse is shaped solely by great powers. By analyzing Ecuador’s legal trajectory, this chapter highlights the potential of Latin American States to contribute to evolving international norms and governance structures.