Report of the IAI Directorate to the Executive Council 18th Meeting

The Report of the IAI Directorate to the Executive Council 18th Meeting, dated December 4-5, 2003, outlines the activities, strategic progress, and administrative status of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) since June 2003. It details efforts to increase institutional visibility through international partnerships, the implementation of regional training institutes, and the management of Core Research Network (CRN) projects.

• The IAI Directorate operates under six major strategies endorsed by the EC-XVI, which include expanding Core Research Networks (CRNs), prioritizing research that integrates global change with sustainable development, focusing capacity-building on scientifically weak member countries, synthesizing regional knowledge, improving the dissemination of research to decision makers, and expanding the IAI's profile by offering expertise to other regional institutions.
• To address outstanding member contributions, the IAI is exploring a "debt swap" mechanism where arrears are canceled in exchange for allocating the owed funds toward local activities coordinated with the IAI. This approach has been well received by Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Paraguay, although it does not provide the institute with cash funds.
• The IAI has expanded its international cooperation through new agreements, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) on November 30, 2003, in Cape Town. Additional MoUs are being discussed with the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• In 2003, the IAI successfully implemented three Summer Institutes: one on Land Cover-Land Use Change in the Amazonian Region (October 13-24 in Brazil), one on Vulnerability associated with Climate Change and Climate Variability in Central America and the Caribbean (October 26-November 8 in the Dominican Republic), and one on Warming and Global Climate Changes (November 10-22 in Brazil). The vulnerability institute received $60,000 from the UNDP and $20,000 from the OAS.
• The IAI reports varying statuses for its CRN projects: CRN-038 is recommended for termination following the resignation of all involved scientists; CRN-062 has faced management delays and the withdrawal of Chilean CoPIs but has agreed to improvements; and CRN-031 has appointed Dr. Alan Lavell as the new PI following the death of Dr. Eduardo Franco.
• The IAI is planning to use the next Conference of Parties (CoP) to mark the 10th anniversary of the 1994 Agreement of Montevideo. The proposed event would involve high-level representatives discussing national and regional priorities for the next decade, potentially paired with a second 2004 Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting in Sao Paulo in November 2004.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2003). Report of the IAI Directorate to the Executive Council 18th Meeting. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/3_EC18_DirRep.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Report of the IAI Directorate to the Executive Council 18th Meeting. 2003. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/3_EC18_DirRep.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Report of the IAI Directorate to the Executive Council 18th Meeting |date=4 December 2003 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/3_EC18_DirRep.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2003report, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Report of the IAI Directorate to the Executive Council 18th Meeting}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2003}, month = dec, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/3_EC18_DirRep.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }