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Cuba assesses the first decade of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), noting that while regional capacity has grown, financial resources—totaling approximately 20 million dollars—have been insufficiently distributed, with only 25% directed toward capacity building in less-resourced, more vulnerable countries. Cuba recommends that the IAI integrate more closely with National Science Programs to ensure research aligns with member countries' priorities and suggests expanding the scientific agenda to include human dimensions, education, and the specific vulnerability of island nations.

The CRN program established multidisciplinary international research networks to study climate variability, ecosystem functioning, and human dimensions of global change in the Americas. Key achievements include the development of high-resolution climate reconstructions using tree rings, the identification of critical soil degradation thresholds in semiarid regions, and the creation of disaster risk databases for ENSO events. The program emphasized capacity building, supporting over 600 students and producing hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, while fostering South-South and North-South scientific collaborations.

The IAI employs an independent merit review process to ensure scientific excellence and impartiality in awarding grants. Proposals are evaluated based on scientific excellence—including interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity—and potential impacts, such as co-design with policymakers and the inclusion of underrepresented groups. The review process involves expert panels, external reviewers, and internal committees (SAC and SPAC), with a specific mandate to ensure diversity in reviewer composition across disciplines, regions, and gender. Funding decisions are categorized as 'to be funded', 'to be funded subject to availability of funds', or 'not funded/rejected', based on merit, available budget, portfolio needs, and geographic balance.

The report argues that transdisciplinary research—which integrates academic and non-academic knowledge to solve real-world problems—often fails due to a lack of dedicated coordination. It proposes a three-pillar framework to improve this: changing scientific culture to value social impact over academic metrics, transforming funding mechanisms to be more flexible and inclusive of non-academic partners, and developing specialized capacities in facilitation, communication, and conflict resolution. The document emphasizes the need for these changes to support the Global South and ensure equitable partnerships in addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

The GS/OAS and IAI have agreed to a five-year cooperation framework to enhance the role of science in policy-making and sustainable development across the Americas. The agreement outlines mutual commitments to support science diplomacy, capacity building for young scientists, and the exchange of research outcomes to inform decision-making. While the MoU provides a programmatic and juridical framework, it does not create immediate financial obligations; specific projects will require separate supplementary agreements detailing budgets and resources. Coordination is managed by the OAS Department of Sustainable Development and the IAI Directorate, with a Joint Steering Committee overseeing implementation.

The document outlines a formal partnership between Argentina's CONICET and the IAI to enhance scientific research on global change through joint funding, the exchange of information, and the development of research networks. A specific annex focuses on supporting Argentine scientists within the Collaborative Research Networks (CRN3) program, detailing financial contributions and selection processes for projects of regional importance.

The STeP Fellowship program (2020-2024) aims to bridge the gap between science and policy in Latin America and the Caribbean by embedding scientists within public or private host organizations. The program provides a two-year professional development curriculum focused on leadership, communication, and science diplomacy, while establishing an inter-American network to share best practices in evidence-based policy for global change and sustainable development.

The STeP Fellowship Program, implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), is a two-year professional development initiative for scientists and policymakers in the Americas. The program focuses on three training pillars: science diplomacy, communication, and leadership, aiming to improve the science-policy dialogue and the uptake of scientific knowledge in policy processes. Fellows are placed in government agencies or private organizations within IAI member countries to work on national and regional agendas related to global environmental change.

The paper examines two primary development issues within the World Trade Organization (WTO) ahead of MC13: the strengthening of Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) provisions for developing economies and the creation of a smooth transition for LDCs graduating from their status. It details the efforts of the G-90 group to refine 10 priority S&DT proposals and the recent progress made by the WTO General Council in encouraging transition periods for graduated LDCs regarding duty-free and quota-free preferences.

The document examines the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, its goals of improving foreign direct investment (FDI) climates through transparency and administrative simplification, and the legal and systemic debates surrounding its incorporation into the WTO as a plurilateral agreement. It highlights the importance of special and differential treatment for developing countries and the current lack of consensus among WTO members, specifically noting opposition from India and Turkey.

The GEO Resource Book is a comprehensive guide designed to help practitioners and public agency leaders implement integrated environmental assessments (IEA). It outlines a structured eight-module process that moves from initial design and stakeholder engagement to data collection, trend analysis, scenario development, and communication of results. The manual emphasizes a participatory approach to link scientific knowledge with policy action, utilizing the Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to analyze interactions between the natural environment and human society. It also provides strategies for ensuring that assessment findings lead to actual policy impact through targeted communication and continuous monitoring and evaluation.

The IEA Training Manual provides a modular framework for conducting integrated environmental assessments (IEA) to support policy-making at national, regional, and local levels. Based on the UNEP Global Environment Outlook (GEO) methodology, the manual is divided into core methodological modules (Volume 1) and thematic modules (Volume 2), including a specific focus on climate change adaptation. It emphasizes a participatory process, the use of the DPSIR framework, and the development of impact strategies to ensure assessment results influence decision-making. The manual is supported by the IEA Community Platform for resource sharing and trainer networking.

The document describes a comprehensive training package for Integrated Environmental Assessments (IEA), structured into two volumes. Volume 1 covers eight methodological modules ranging from design and data monitoring to scenario analysis and communication. Volume 2 provides a thematic module specifically focused on vulnerability and impact assessment for climate change adaptation. The manual is designed to be flexible and interactive, supported by a Community Platform for resource sharing and a database of trainers.

INFASA is a forum for scientists, policy-makers, producers, food industry leaders, and consumers to converge on the definition and measurement of sustainable agriculture. The initiative focuses on moving beyond the creation of new indicators to understanding how existing assessment tools work in practice and how to integrate them into mainstream farm management. Key priorities include balancing technical complexity with user manageability, incorporating stakeholder participation, and addressing the need for holistic approaches that include the social domain. INFASA seeks to optimize tool use across the food chain, develop guidelines for next-generation tools—such as those measuring carbon footprints—and use demonstration projects to build capacity for wider implementation.

The Investment Policy Forum Panama Tool Kit offers a structured three-step approach to enhancing institutional coherence in investment governance. It identifies common policy concerns—such as poor coordination, communication gaps, and capacity constraints—and maps them to specific tools like interinstitutional committees, digitalization platforms, and capacity-building workshops. The guide emphasizes that because causes of incoherence vary by country, policy-makers must evaluate tools based on timeliness, cost, and political feasibility.

The toolkit outlines a three-step process for enhancing institutional coherence in investment governance: identifying specific policy problems, selecting appropriate tools based on their advantages and disadvantages, and determining the most suitable options for a specific national context. It categorizes common institutional failures—such as poor coordination, communication gaps, and capacity limitations—and maps them to a variety of regulatory and administrative tools, ranging from inter-institutional committees and digital single-window platforms to capacity-building workshops and formal statutes.

The project, a partnership between IISD, MYRADA, and DFID, aimed to build capacity in Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to design sustainable development projects in rural India. It exceeded its initial targets, training 804 people from 70 organisations and engaging approximately 500 community-based organisations (CBOs) representing 10,000 people. Key outcomes included the mainstreaming of AI within MYRADA, the creation of a field-guide and training video, and the development of community visions focusing on gender equity, environmental improvement, and livelihood security. The report concludes that AI is a robust, motivating tool that complements existing participatory techniques like Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA).

The SDG Knowledge Hub is a website managed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) that consolidates policy and practice knowledge-bases to track the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The platform provides original reporting from IISD experts and invited specialists, focusing on the efforts of 193 countries and various intergovernmental and civil society organizations. Content is searchable by the 17 SDGs, seven regional groups, three regional groupings of small island developing States (SIDS), and various actors, including UN bodies and national governments. Users can further filter information by issue area, action type, and specific elements of SDG 17, such as means of implementation (MOI) and systemic issues like data, monitoring, and accountability.

The Trade Knowledge Network (TKN), launched in 1997 and coordinated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), works to build long-term capacity to incorporate sustainable development into national, bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade policies. Its primary objectives include producing country- and region-specific research, engaging trade policy-makers, building the capacity of partner organizations through training and cooperative research, and facilitating the global exchange of best practices. The network comprises partners across various developing and developed nations, including organizations in Argentina, Chile, China, India, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Canada, Vietnam, Mexico, El Salvador, the USA, Pakistan, and South Africa, with funding support from entities such as the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement aims to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to developing economies and least-developed countries by improving transparency, simplifying administrative procedures, and promoting sustainable investment. While 117 WTO members have participated in the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) to finalize the text, the agreement faces significant hurdles for formal integration into the WTO system. Opponents, including India and South Africa, argue that such plurilateral initiatives undermine the WTO's consensus-based mandate and distract from the Doha Development Agenda. Proponents view the agreement as a way to modernize the WTO's negotiating function through 'variable geometry.' The agreement includes special and differential treatment (S&DT) for developing nations, allowing for flexible implementation timelines and capacity-building support.