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The document warns against adopting a deregulatory investment model for the FTAA, citing the destabilizing effects of short-term speculative capital flows seen in the Asian and Mexican financial crises. It argues that broad definitions of investment and 'national treatment' provisions in NAFTA and the MAI would prohibit essential capital controls and 'speed bumps' used by countries like Chile and Colombia to maintain economic stability. Furthermore, the text contends that such rules threaten environmental protection by allowing corporations to sue governments for 'regulatory expropriation' and by banning performance requirements that mandate technology transfer to developing nations. The authors recommend that any hemispheric agreement must preserve the right of states to regulate currency convertibility, mandate technology transfer, and utilize transparent dispute resolution mechanisms that include civil society participation.

The report warns against the deregulation of investment within the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), specifically criticizing the adoption of models from NAFTA and the OECD's Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI). It argues that broad definitions of investment and restrictive rules on capital controls increase vulnerability to speculative 'hot money' and financial crises, as seen in Mexico and East Asia. Furthermore, it contends that such frameworks undermine environmental protection by allowing corporations to challenge public health and environmental regulations through secretive investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms and by prohibiting performance requirements like technology transfer.

The IAI Executive Committee met in Uruguay to approve 14 research proposals under the Cooperative Research Networks (CRN) program and establish a working group for the Program to Expand Scientific Capabilities in the Americas (PESCA), with the US committing $300,000 annually for five years. The meeting addressed financial challenges, including $83,000 in unpaid member contributions, and the need for better dissemination of scientific results from the ISP I and II projects. The committee also approved terms of reference for funding working groups and discussed future education and training strategies for the hemisphere.

The Lima Workshop on Mining and Sustainable Development in the Americas brought together 76 representatives from 11 countries to establish a shared vision for the industry. The participants identified five strategic objectives—improved living conditions, sustainable technology and economic development, transparent policies, social consensus, and democratic participation—and formed working groups to implement them. The report details lessons learned from various multi-stakeholder dialogue cases across the region, emphasizing the need for transparency, early community engagement, and the building of negotiation capacity within local communities.

The Lima Workshop on Mining and Sustainable Development in the Americas brought together 76 representatives from 11 countries to address the environmental and social impacts of mining. Participants identified five strategic objectives for a vision of "Balanced, Harmonious and Sustainable Development": improved living conditions, sustainable technologies and economic development, transparent regulations and policies, internalized social consensus, and democratic participation of stakeholders. The workshop focused on the mechanics of multi-stakeholder processes, analyzing what facilitates successful consensus (such as third-party facilitators and early stakeholder involvement) and what hinders it (such as unrealistic expectations and short timelines). The event concluded with the formation of five working groups to develop concrete actions for each strategic objective, coordinated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

The report details the outcomes of the IAI's Initial Scientific Program (ISP), noting its role in stimulating cooperative global change research across the Americas through funding, student training, and peer-reviewed publications. It also outlines the transition to the Cooperative Research Networks (CRN) program, which provides up to $200,000 per year to research consortia. Of 70 pre-proposals received for the CRN, 33 were selected to submit full proposals, with a final estimate of 45 feasible proposals including those from the IAI Start-Up Program.

The IAI Director's report details the institute's growth to 18 member countries by March 1998 and the administration of its Initial Science Program (ISP) and Climate Research Network (CRN). Key programmatic highlights include a strong funding focus on ENSO and interannual climate variability, the establishment of a Core Group for Caribbean countries, and partnerships with organizations like NOAA, NASA, and the WMO. The report also outlines financial strategies through Joint Funding Resource Agreements (JFRA) and the development of a Summer Training School at the University of Miami.

The document reviews the IAI's progress since 1995, noting an increase in member countries and the implementation of collaborative research programs. It identifies a critical dependency on US government funding via NSF grants and outlines a strategy to diversify financial sources, increase participation from new member countries, and enhance regional capacity building through targeted scientific projects and training.

The IAI Program Plan for 1998-1999 establishes goals to advance scientific programs, build regional capacity, and enhance the participation of scientists and countries in the Americas. The plan includes a budget of funded activities, such as graduate and postdoctoral training in Brazil and Mexico, and the development of climate forecasts. Future initiatives include CO2 monitoring in the Amazon Basin and the Pan-American Climate Information System (PACIS) for disaster preparedness.

The Fifth Meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties (CoP) focused on updating the institute's scientific agenda, approving administrative budgets, and expanding financial resources. Key outcomes included the re-election of Director Armando Rabuffetti, the establishment of the Program to Expand Scientific Capacity in the Americas (PESCA), and the approval of a revised scientific agenda covering climate variability, ecosystem studies, atmospheric composition, and integrated assessments. The meeting also saw the election of a new Executive Committee and the signing of funding agreements with Argentina and Brazil.

The Act of Montevideo establishes the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) as a regional network of research units. The IAI is designed to coordinate scientific and economic research on the extent, causes, and consequences of global change in the Americas, serving as an interface between science and policy. The agreement emphasizes that scientific interest should drive the implementation of research programs and the development of specialized facilities. To facilitate the transition to operational status, a Implementation Committee composed of representatives from signatory states was created to prepare basic materials until the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Signatory nations include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

The Minutes of Montevideo document the May 1992 agreement by several American states to create the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). The IAI is designed as a regional network of research entities to investigate the extent, causes, and consequences of global changes in the Americas and to bridge the gap between science and policy. The agreement establishes an Implementation Committee to prepare the Institute for operation and notes the intention to inform the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) of the Institute's creation.

The 1992 agreement creates the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to address insufficient scientific knowledge of the Earth system and the impacts of global change. The IAI is structured as a regional network of cooperating entities with a specific scientific agenda focusing on tropical ecosystems, biodiversity, and climate variability. It is governed by a Conference of the Parties, an Executive Council, a Scientific Advisory Committee, and an Executive Directorate. The agreement outlines the criteria for establishing Research Centers, the role of affiliated institutions and associates, and a funding model based on voluntary contributions from member states and external partners.

The Declaration of Montevideo, signed May 12-14, 1992, establishes the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) as a regional network of research entities. The Institute aims to coordinate scientific and economic research on the causes and consequences of global change in the Americas to inform the policy process. To ensure operational readiness, the signatories agreed to create an Implementation Committee and to notify the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED-92) of the Institute's creation.

The Declaration of Montevideo, signed between May 12 and 14, 1992, establishes the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) as a regional network of research centers. The IAI aims to coordinate scientific and economic research on the causes and consequences of global change in the Americas to bridge the gap between science and policy. The declaration outlines the creation of an Organizing Committee to make the Institute operational and notes the commitment of several American states to support the initiative.

The agreement creates the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to foster regional cooperation in interdisciplinary research on global changes. It defines the Institute's objectives, including the study of tropical ecosystems and climate variability, and outlines a governance structure consisting of a Conference of Parties, an Executive Council, a Scientific Advisory Committee, and a Directorate. The document also specifies the criteria for establishing Research Centers and the financial framework based on voluntary contributions.

The report examines the draft investment chapter of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), finding that it largely replicates NAFTA's Chapter 11. It warns that the proposed investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, broad definitions of expropriation, and restrictions on capital controls and performance requirements would empower corporations to challenge domestic laws and hinder sovereign economic and social development across the hemisphere.

The report examines the draft investment chapter of the FTAA, highlighting its reliance on the NAFTA model. It identifies several critical areas where the draft threatens democratic governance and environmental protection, specifically through investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms, broad definitions of expropriation, and restrictions on capital controls and performance requirements.

The document examines how the draft FTAA IPR Chapter imposes standards exceeding the WTO's TRIPS Agreement, potentially hindering public health, food security, and technological development in the Americas by restricting compulsory licensing and expanding patent scopes.

The research paper examines the impact of international intellectual property rights (IPR) standards on sustainable development, specifically focusing on the Draft Chapter on IPR within the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). It contends that while the WTO's TRIPS Agreement provides some flexibility, newer bilateral and regional agreements—including the FTAA—often implement 'TRIPS-plus' standards that exceed multilateral requirements. The author argues these stricter rules threaten public health, food security, and technological development in developing nations by restricting the use of compulsory licenses, extending patent terms, and limiting the ability of countries to define patentability for biological materials. Ultimately, the document asserts that the FTAA draft prioritizes the rights of knowledge producers over the public interest and sustainable development goals of the Americas.