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The report details the activities of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Directorate from July 2003 to June 2004. It focuses on improving institutional visibility, managing member state contributions, expanding international partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding, and implementing capacity-building training institutes across the Americas.

The document contains the minutes of the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held on June 3 and 5, 2003, in Boulder, Colorado, USA. The meeting focused on institutional governance, financial sustainability, and the approval of a new Scientific Agenda to address global change in the Americas.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines the challenges and recommendations regarding the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) efforts to develop social responsibility (SR) standards. IISD argues that ISO must move beyond its 'business as usual' approach to ensure meaningful participation from developing countries and the broader sustainable development community, while clearly defining the objective of any proposed SR standard.

The 'Standards for Sustainable Trade' project, implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the European Commission, investigated how regional cooperation can reduce technical barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures for developing countries. The report concludes that while regional centers of excellence can offset national capacity gaps, the WTO's TBT Agreement is often unrealistic for developing nations, which act as 'standards takers' rather than 'makers' due to a lack of institutional and scientific resources.

This report documents a two-day workshop held in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, in October 2003, focused on delivery mechanisms for rural electrification in Eastern and Southern Africa. It explores the intersection of energy supply technologies and organizational management to support rural development, emphasizing that electricity alone is insufficient for poverty reduction and must be integrated with education, social services, and income-generating activities.

This 2004 practice note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) explores the convergence of knowledge management, information and communications technologies (ICTs), and community engagement. It maps how trends from the private sector, social sciences, and international development are merging to create new forms of governance and knowledge mobilization aimed at sustainable development.

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.

This December 2003 report by Friends of the Earth International argues that International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including multilateral development banks and bilateral export credit agencies, should phase out funding for the extractive industries. The document contends that IFI-supported oil, gas, and mining projects frequently lead to environmental disasters, human rights abuses, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples, while failing to alleviate poverty in resource-rich developing nations.

The minutes of the Eighteenth Meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Executive Council (EC), held December 4-5, 2003, in San José, Costa Rica, detail the institute's scientific progress, financial instability due to member state arrears, and strategic planning for future research programs and institutional governance.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the state of research on the interface between trade and the environment. Based on a survey of 315 publications from 2002 to 2003 and consultations with an expert group, the document identifies significant gaps in current research—particularly regarding developing countries and specific WTO negotiating options—and proposes a new research agenda to better support sustainable development.

This report from the Executive Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details activities and progress between June and November 2003. It outlines the implementation of six strategic goals focused on strengthening Collaborative Research Networks (CRNs), capacity building in scientifically weaker member countries, and increasing the institute's visibility through international partnerships and educational institutes.

The document contains the minutes of the Seventeenth Meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Executive Council (EC), held on June 2-3, 2003, in Boulder, Colorado. The meeting focused on reviewing the IAI's science programs, financial status, and administrative rules, while approving a revised Science Agenda to be forwarded to the Conference of Parties (CoP X).

This draft issue brief examines the intersection of Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), the OECD Arrangement on Guidelines for Officially Supported Export Credits, and the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM). It analyzes how the 'safe haven' clause in the ASCM protects OECD members' export credits from being classified as prohibited subsidies, the resulting competitive disadvantages for developing countries, and the legal precedents set by the Brazil-Canada aircraft disputes. The document also highlights the lack of comprehensive environmental and social guidelines governing ECA activities.

This report by Friends of the Earth International and the International Rivers Network (IRN) argues that large hydroelectric dams should be excluded from renewable energy initiatives. It contends that large-scale hydro projects fail to support sustainable development, harm ecosystems and people, and undermine energy security, whereas decentralized renewable energy technologies provide a more effective path toward poverty eradication and climate mitigation.

This research paper examines the tension between the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the human right to water. The authors argue that because the realization of the right to water requires flexible, country-specific regulatory strategies, international trade law should be conceptualized in deference to national regulatory autonomy to prevent trade obligations from undermining the state's ability to ensure universal and affordable access to water.

This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and WWF International examines the potential conflicts between the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and domestic water management policies. The authors argue that while water management requires flexibility and adaptive planning to protect ecosystems, the GATS favors legal predictability and 'locking in' policy choices, which may constrain a state's ability to regulate water rights, pollution, and resource extraction.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the complexities of trade-related subsidies, focusing on the divide between developed and developing nations. It argues that current WTO indicators for measuring subsidies are inadequate for resolving trade disputes and proposes the use of 'terms-of-trade' as a more effective metric. The document provides detailed case studies on the subsidy regimes and trade impacts in India, the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and Brazil, highlighting how subsidies in OECD countries often harm the economies of developing nations, particularly in agriculture.

A position paper by Friends of the Earth International from August 2003 urging WTO member states to reject negotiations on a multilateral investment agreement at the upcoming Ministerial Conference in Cancún, arguing such an agreement would prioritize corporate rights over public interest and environmental protection.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International examines the theories, institutions, and impacts of the global trade system, arguing that its core principles are fundamentally flawed and prioritize economic growth and corporate interests over environmental sustainability, social equity, and human development.

This executive summary, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development in August 2003, analyzes the intersection of agricultural trade and sustainable development in Central America. It characterizes the region's agricultural structure, examines trade trends and projections, evaluates the environmental impacts of key agro-industrial activities, and discusses the role of international trade negotiations (WTO, CAFTA, and FTAA) in shaping support mechanisms for sustainable farming.