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The 47th meeting of the IAI Executive Council focused on coordinating scientific priorities, financial planning, and governance structures ahead of CoP-27. Key outcomes include recommendations for the adoption of a new IAI Strategic Plan and Scientific Agenda, the proposal to create a task force to engage national funding agencies, and the recommendation to extend the IAI Executive Director's contract. The Council also addressed the need for greater geographic and subject matter diversity within the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and discussed capacity-building efforts in Central America and the Caribbean.

The memorandum establishes a partnership between SP/OTCA and IAI to strengthen regional capacities and scientific research in the Amazon Biome, focusing on climate change, biodiversity, and the rights of indigenous and local communities.

The briefing argues that empowering forest-linked communities is essential for forest protection and is most effectively achieved through tiered organizational structures that aggregate strength-in-numbers. While some progress has been made in recognizing indigenous and local community rights, overall empowerment in rural areas remains constrained by land fragmentation, gender inequality, and insufficient access to finance. The document highlights successful innovations in business development and policy advocacy from the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) and warns that while digital technologies offer new market opportunities, they may also facilitate commercial land acquisition that threatens community assets.

The document is a participant list for the 27th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, which took place in Brasilia, Brazil, from 5-6 June 2019. It enumerates representatives from party nations, advisory committees, observers, and intergovernmental organizations.

The report 'Uncalculated Risks' examines how development finance institutions (DFIs) often fail to account for human rights risks, leading to the stigmatization, criminalization, and physical attack of human rights defenders. Through 25 case studies across various countries and sectors, it argues that DFIs frequently rely on inadequate client reporting and overlook the enabling environment for public participation. The document provides a 'Leverage Toolbox' and a 'Reprisal Prevention and Response Process' to help DFIs move toward a human rights-based approach to development.

The report examines adaptation activities across 18 developing countries' NDC Partnership Plans, identifying critical gaps in climate risk assessments, project design, and M&E systems. It argues that these short-term plans can be leveraged to align NDC pledges with the more detailed NAP processes to improve climate resilience planning and implementation.

The IAI Directorate Science-Policy has worked to bridge the gap between scientific research and public policy in the Americas. Key activities include drafting Rules of Procedure for the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), establishing cooperation with multilateral environmental agreements, and developing a project for decarbonization and climate resilient governance in South American megacities. The report highlights the impacts of the third Collaborative Research Network (CRN3), where projects have influenced national inventories for GHG emissions in Brazil, changed mining policies in Ecuador, and informed water management reforms in Mexico. The Directorate is seeking to formalize mechanisms for Parties to present scientific results to decision-makers and identify priority research needs for global change policy.

The IAI Executive Directorate is implementing a multifaceted approach to improve the provision of scientific information to governments in the Americas. This includes drafting procedural regulations for the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), establishing links with multilateral environmental agreements, and strengthening the capacity of member states to integrate science into public policy. The report highlights the conclusion of the third round of Cooperative Research Networks (CRN3), detailing how specific projects on nitrogen cycles, tropical dry forests, water security, and marine ecosystems have influenced national policies and management plans in countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Mexico.

The IAI Executive Directorate reports on its capacity-building efforts, including the São Paulo School of Advanced Science and partnerships with the AAAS and OAS to integrate science and policy. It outlines ongoing initiatives like the STeP Fellowship and Seed Grant programs, while seeking CoP support for future implementation subject to external funding.

The Ad hoc committee report on Decision XXVI/11 outlines the development and structure of the IAI Strategic Plan (2019–2044). The plan establishes a 25-year roadmap for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research to bridge science and policy, focusing on three primary themes: meeting the needs of Parties to address global environmental change, science for the sustainability of the Americas, and the long-term sustainability of the IAI organization.

The IAI Strategic Plan (2019–2044) establishes a 25-year roadmap to bridge the gap between science and policy in the Americas. It is organized into three themes: meeting the needs of member states regarding global environmental change, advancing science for regional sustainability, and ensuring the IAI's own organizational sustainability. The plan emphasizes transdisciplinary research, open data, and the inclusion of underrepresented groups to inform climate adaptation and mitigation policies.

This report from the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) outlines the council's activities and recommendations ahead of the 27th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-27) in Brasilia, Brazil. The EC provides guidance on the IAI Strategic Plan, the election rules for the Science and Policy Advisory Committee, and the establishment of flexible funding mechanisms for global change projects in the Americas.

This report from the Chair of the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) outlines the EC's activities and recommendations ahead of the 27th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-27) in Brasilia, Brazil.

The document outlines efforts by the IAI Executive Directorate to implement a flexible financing mechanism for the Americas by encouraging national funding bodies to engage with the Belmont Forum's Cooperative Research Actions (CRA). Several Latin American and Caribbean entities have expressed interest in a CRA focused on food and climate security. The IAI is also exploring coordination between the Cooperative Research Networks (CRN4) program and other joint programming initiatives, including the SINCERE work package for international cooperation on climate change research.

The IAI Executive Directorate reports on its 2018-2019 efforts to strengthen science-policy interfaces and international partnerships. Key activities include signing a Memorandum of Understanding with IPBES, collaborating with UNOSSC on South-South cooperation for urban climate resilience in South American megacities, and pursuing an Associate status with the Green Climate Fund. The IAI also joined the Belmont Forum Steering Committee and explored a cooperative research action on food security and climate change with France's National Research Agency, attracting interest from Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Additionally, the report details engagements with the IPCC, the European Commission, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to foster intercontinental cooperation on climate risks.

The report analyzes 38 ISDS cases brought by mining companies against Latin American states, highlighting a systemic bias that favors corporate profits over human rights and environmental laws. It documents how these suits often target government measures resulting from community resistance or environmental regulations, creating a 'chilling effect' on public policy. The document details specific cases in countries such as Colombia, El Salvador, and Venezuela, and proposes a fundamental shift toward a legal framework that prioritizes human rights and environmental protection over investor rights.

The project aims to address climate-driven water scarcity, food insecurity, and ecosystem degradation in seven countries. It proposes a multi-scale approach targeting landscapes (forest and wetland restoration), enterprises (climate-resilient agricultural practices), and households (water-efficient technologies). The initiative is supported by three financial mechanisms: a grant fund (FOGESIA), a guarantee fund, and a dedicated EbA credit line. Key goals include the restoration of approximately 36,000 hectares of ecosystems and the direct benefit of 1.75 million people.

This document is a report on the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-26) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held in Antigua, Guatemala, from 20 to 21 June 2018. It details the proceedings, administrative and financial discussions, and the adoption of 45 decisions concerning the IAI's strategic plan, funding, science-policy initiatives, and organizational structure.

The document examines the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and gender equality in agriculture. It analyzes five major standards—Fairtrade International, IFOAM Organic, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, and the 4Cs—across six thematic areas: household food security, rights to productive resources, education, unpaid domestic labour, decision-making/empowerment, and decent work. The guide finds that while VSSs can improve wages and working conditions, they risk exacerbating inequalities if they prioritize cash crops over women's subsistence farming or increase women's unpaid labour burdens without providing childcare or gender-transformative training.

The document analyzes the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and gender equality in agriculture. It evaluates five major standards—Fairtrade International, IFOAM (Organic), Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, and 4Cs—across six key themes: household food security, access to productive resources, education, unpaid domestic work, decision-making/empowerment, and decent work. The guide finds that while VSS can indirectly improve women's status through increased income and sustainable practices, they can also inadvertently exacerbate inequalities if local gender dynamics are ignored, such as by prioritizing commercial crops over women's subsistence farming or increasing women's unpaid labor to meet certification quality requirements. It provides specific recommendations for development organizations to implement 'gender-transformative' approaches, including providing childcare during training and supporting women's land rights.