DRAFT MINUTES OF THE EIGHTH MEETING OF THE IAI EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

The draft minutes of the eighth meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Executive Council, held in Montevideo, Uruguay, on November 23-24, 1998, detail discussions on scientific capacity building, funding challenges, and the approval of research programs for the Americas.

• The Executive Council approved the Collaborative Research Network (CRN) program, authorizing the funding of 14 research proposals for the next five years. The Council also authorized the Director to analyze if funds could be used for a science assistant or project manager to coordinate the program and permitted the Director and EC Chair to seek additional funding from national agencies in member countries.
• The IAI established the Program to Expand the Scientific Capacity in the Americas (PESCA). A working group including representatives from Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Uruguay, Venezuela, the USA, the SAC Chair, and the IAI Director was tasked with producing a five-year proposal. The USA committed to supporting PESCA with 300,000 USD per year for five years, and the Director was authorized to use up to 300,000 USD in the first year to expedite the program's start.
• The IAI is facing financial challenges regarding its core budget, with 83,000 USD in approved member country contributions lost due to non-payment. To address this, the Executive Council recommended that the Director sign follow-up letters for unpaid contributions to emphasize the importance of these funds.
• There was a debate regarding the scientific output of the ISP I and II programs. The representative from Brazil argued that the results did not reflect the 2 million USD investment and the effort of dozens of scientists. While the Scientific Officer maintained that the programs were productive and that it was too early for all publications to be pressed, the Council agreed that the IAI must ensure reports are produced and shared with policy-makers.
• The Executive Council approved the terms of reference for two working groups: one focused on exploring funding possibilities with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and another for fundraising. Additionally, Brazil and the USA offered to support Eduardo Banús via a one-year contract to assist with a second IAI/GEF project regarding CO2 monitoring in the Amazon region.
• The Council decided to develop a comprehensive strategy for education and training in the hemisphere over the next five years. This involves establishing investment principles, developing programs to attract external funding, and identifying management implications, with the SAC potentially appointing a sub-group for this task.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (1998). DRAFT MINUTES OF THE EIGHTH MEETING OF THE IAI EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. http://iai.int/pdf/all/EC-8-minutes-EN.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. DRAFT MINUTES OF THE EIGHTH MEETING OF THE IAI EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. 1998. http://iai.int/pdf/all/EC-8-minutes-EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=DRAFT MINUTES OF THE EIGHTH MEETING OF THE IAI EXECUTIVE COUNCIL |date=November 1998 |url=http://iai.int/pdf/all/EC-8-minutes-EN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch1998draft, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{DRAFT MINUTES OF THE EIGHTH MEETING OF THE IAI EXECUTIVE COUNCIL}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {1998}, month = nov, url = {http://iai.int/pdf/all/EC-8-minutes-EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }