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The IAI Executive Directorate reported progress in its strategic plan during 2020-2021 despite COVID-19 challenges. Key achievements include the launch of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) fellowship program, the development of a revised scientific agenda incorporating feedback from Canada, Argentina, and Colombia, and the execution of transdisciplinary projects on climate-driven vector-borne diseases in Jamaica and Saint Lucia. The IAI also expanded its partnerships with the Belmont Forum, Wellcome Trust, and Mitacs Canada, while contributing to the IPCC's chapter on Central and South America.

The Framework for Sustainable Finance Integrity is a consultation draft designed to provide guardrails for the financial sector's move toward net zero and sustainability. It identifies a gap between the proliferation of individual financial coalitions and the actual pace of real-economy impact, noting that current commitments may not align with a net zero trajectory. To address this, the framework establishes benchmarks across three categories: targets and objectives, implementation, and metrics and transparency. It also introduces investment blueprints for Recovery Bonds and Results-based Financing to facilitate cross-institutional collaboration.

The IAI Directorate reports that while COVID-19 delayed some actions requiring international travel, activities remain aligned with the Strategic Plan. The document introduces a comprehensive framework of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and leading/lagging metrics to measure organizational performance across themes such as fundraising, open data, capacity building, and science priorities. It also recommends delaying the triennial revision of the Strategic Plan to the 2023-2024 intersessional period to coincide with the term of a new Executive Director.

This briefing, prepared by the Executive Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), presents a proposed Gender Policy for IAI scientific projects and activities. The policy aims to ensure gender equality in research and capacity building, recognizing that gender is a social construct and not binary. It establishes five primary objectives to promote regional leadership in gender equality, integrate gender dimensions into science, eliminate selection biases, create inclusive research environments, and develop gender-focused training.

The joint report by the SAC and SPAC details their collaborative activities between sessions, including the revision of the IAI Scientific Agenda, the editorial process for a CRN3 special edition, and the creation of working groups focused on COVID-19, strategic plan indicators, and regional assessment models.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research is seeking nominations for two vacancies on its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), to be filled during the 29th Conference of the Parties meeting on June 22-23, 2021. The SAC emphasizes the need for internationally recognized scientists with expertise in global change in the Americas, specifically highlighting a need for geographic balance in Central America, the Caribbean, and the tropical Andes, as well as gender and ethnic balance. Preferred areas of expertise include social sciences, traditional and indigenous knowledge, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and planetary health.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research is seeking nominations for two seats on its Science Advisory Committee (SAC) to be filled at the 29th meeting of the Conference of the Parties in June 2021. The SAC emphasizes the need for candidates with international recognition in global change science in the Americas, specifically calling for geographic, gender, and ethnic balance, with a particular focus on underrepresented regions such as Central America, the Caribbean, and the tropical Andes. Desired expertise includes social sciences, indigenous knowledge, climate change adaptation and mitigation, planetary health, and informatics.

The document analyzes drivers of support for terrorism, finding that justifications for domestic and political violence, younger age, lower education, and a lack of religious belief or openness to other religions are positively associated with justifying terrorism. It notes that while some factors vary by region, a moderate commitment to democracy and a moderate perceived importance of God are consistent global indicators of support for terrorism.

The Green Economy Coalition asserts that the COVID-19 crisis provides a unique opportunity for a radical economic break, urging governments to implement a green recovery that integrates short-term stimulus with long-term structural reforms. The author warns that current recovery efforts are often insufficiently green and risk accelerating climate breakdown and biodiversity loss. To prevent this, the document proposes six strategic recommendations, including the creation of a strategic guide for governments, fostering societal debate, aligning financial criteria, encouraging leadership from G7 and G20 nations, ensuring transparency, and improving global communications.

The document identifies six key areas where technical assistance and capacity building (TACB) are needed to implement a future WTO instrument on fisheries subsidies: identifying and notifying subsidies, ensuring compliance with prohibitions, establishing domestic rules, re-purposing subsidy schemes, identifying IUU fishing and overfished stocks, and strengthening management regimes. Analysis of OECD and Pew Charitable Trusts data from 2012–2017 reveals that while fisheries-related official development assistance (ODA) has grown, it remains a small fraction (0.3%) of total sector-allocable ODA. The brief finds a significant gap in support for subsidy reform and IUU monitoring, while a large portion of funding is directed toward general fisheries management and development projects that may inadvertently increase fishing capacity in regions like Africa.

A coalition of international church-based organisations urges the European Commission to reform its migration and asylum policies, arguing that the current system is 'fundamentally broken'. The statement highlights the failure of the 'hotspot' approach and the 2016 EU-Turkey deal, calling for a shift from 'crisis mode' to a system based on solidarity, human dignity, and the equitable sharing of responsibility among all EU member states. It specifically advocates for safe passage channels and the rejection of policies that externalise border controls.

The IAI Executive Directorate's 2019-2020 report details progress in transdisciplinary research, capacity building, and open science, while noting significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Key achievements include the launch of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) fellowship program in Argentina and the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Organization of American States (OAS). The report also highlights efforts to align scientific agendas with human systems and the development of a flexible funding mechanism for the Americas in collaboration with the Belmont Forum.

The IAI has launched the STeP Fellowship Program, starting with a pilot in Argentina's agricultural sector involving three post-doctoral scientists funded by CREA and CONICET. Modeled after the AAAS program, STeP aims to place scientists in government or private organizations to facilitate the integration of scientific knowledge into policy processes across Latin America and the Caribbean.

This briefing document, prepared by the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), presents proposed revisions to the Scientific Agenda of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) for adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its 28th meeting.

The joint report by the SAC and SPAC details the current membership status of both committees, including vacancies and upcoming elections for the 28th Conference of the Parties. It outlines collaborative activities conducted between August 2019 and June 2020, including eight teleconferences focused on the IAI scientific agenda, funding opportunities, and the creation of a COVID-19 working group. The committees also contributed to the review of the IAI Scientific Agenda, the editorial process for a special CRN3 edition, and a five-year proposal submitted to the NSF regarding science-informed policy in the Americas.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has proposed a revised Scientific Agenda to its Conference of the Parties. This update aligns the agenda with the IAI Strategic Plan, emphasizing transdisciplinary science and the integration of human systems. The proposed agenda is organized into four primary research themes: human dimensions and policy consequences, climate variability in the Americas, ecosystems and biodiversity, and the chemical composition of the atmosphere, oceans, and freshwater. These themes aim to address regional sustainability, including food and water security, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation across the Americas.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has set a new deadline of July 17, 2020, for the nomination of qualified members to its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). This follows the rescheduling of the CoP-28 conference to August 19, 2020. The notification outlines the composition of the SAC, the specific vacancies arising from the end of terms for members from Mexico, Brazil, and Ecuador, and the resignation of a member from Brazil. It details the nomination process, the requirements for candidates—emphasizing scientific excellence and interdisciplinary experience—and the election procedures to be conducted during CoP-28.

The report finds that 1.61 billion children lived in conflict-affected countries in 2019, with 426 million residing in specific conflict zones (within 50 km of fighting). Africa has the highest absolute number of affected children, while the Middle East has the highest proportional share. The number of children in conflict zones has generally increased since the 1990s, with millions exposed to continuous conflict throughout their childhood.

The paper evaluates the 2018 WHO global ambient air quality database, which contains PM10 and PM2.5 data for thousands of cities worldwide. It identifies challenges in comparing air pollution across different income levels and warns that the database has been used to draw inaccurate conclusions.

A solidarity statement calling for immediate government and international action to protect Amazonian indigenous peoples from COVID-19 by halting extractive industries and respecting indigenous self-governance.