Open Science and the potential for South-South cooperation: lessons learned from Latin America and the Caribbean

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) identifies three factors driving the adoption of open science in Latin America and the Caribbean: a high reliance on public funding for research, a long history of open access initiatives dating back to the 1970s, and the creation of regional governance tools like the Escazú Agreement. The document highlights the FAPESP foundation in Brazil as a successful public funding model and advocates for the reform of scientific publishing economic models, specifically criticizing article processing charges. It suggests that South-South cooperation, including learning from ASEAN countries and the African Open Science Platform, can strengthen the Global South's voice in the international science community.

• The Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region's receptiveness to open science is driven by three primary factors: the predominance of public funding for research and development, the establishment of robust open access networks, and the development of regional governance instruments.
• Public funding in LAC, where approximately two-thirds of R&D investment comes from the public sector, has fostered a cultural expectation that scientific results are public goods. A notable example is Brazil's FAPESP, which is funded by 1% of all state taxes from the State of São Paulo.
• The LAC region has pioneered open access through databases and networks established since the 1970s, including CLASE (1975), PERIODICA (1978), Latindex (1995), SciELO, Redalyc, and LA REFERENCIA.
• The Escazú Agreement, adopted on 4 March 2018, serves as a key regional governance instrument by linking open access to environmental information with environmental justice and public participation.
• Current challenges to open science in the region include inappropriate business models such as article processing charges, a lack of awareness regarding regional open access journals, and financial instability exacerbated by Covid-19.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2020). Open Science and the potential for South-South cooperation: lessons learned from Latin America and the Caribbean. https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Opportunities%20for%20South-2020-06-11-IAI-contribution.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Open Science and the potential for South-South cooperation: lessons learned from Latin America and the Caribbean. 2020. https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Opportunities%20for%20South-2020-06-11-IAI-contribution.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Open Science and the potential for South-South cooperation: lessons learned from Latin America and the Caribbean |date=11 June 2020 |url=https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Opportunities%20for%20South-2020-06-11-IAI-contribution.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2020open, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Open Science and the potential for South-South cooperation: lessons learned from Latin America and the Caribbean}}, publisher = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://archive.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Opportunities%20for%20South-2020-06-11-IAI-contribution.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }