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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 paper argues that the 'Year of the Nurse' is contradicted by the severe hardships faced by medical personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies three primary global challenges: a critical shortage and rising cost of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), increasing physical and verbal hostility toward healthcare workers, and the lack of childcare services, which disproportionately affects the female-dominated medical workforce.

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.

Between January 2017 and June 2020, Japanese public and private institutions provided at least US$23.4 billion in financing for LNG infrastructure across 10 countries. The report argues that the original rationales for this policy—energy security, climate friendliness, and economic viability—are now flawed due to the vulnerability of supply chains exposed by COVID-19, the high global warming potential of methane leakages, and the declining costs of renewable energy. It highlights that major Japanese banks (MUFG, Mizuho, and SMBC) provided the bulk of this funding, while five major trading companies saw a combined year-on-year profit drop of US$625 million in LNG-related businesses by March 2020. The document concludes that continuing to fund LNG infrastructure risks creating stranded assets and contradicts the UN's Principles for Responsible Banking.

Between January 2017 and June 2020, Japanese public and private institutions provided at least $23.4 billion in funding for LNG infrastructure across 10 countries. The report argues that this strategy, led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), is flawed due to the high carbon footprint of LNG, the falling cost of renewable energy, and market volatility exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights significant financial risks, including potential stranded assets and declining profits for major Japanese trading houses, and calls for an immediate shift toward clean energy investments.

The document examines how COVID-19 disrupted mining employment through lockdowns, supply chain failures, and commodity price volatility. It highlights the vulnerability of contractual and migrant workers, the risk of insolvency for local SMEs, and the potential for accelerated automation. The author argues that recovery requires shifting from blanket stimulus to targeted support, redesigning workplaces for health safety, and diversifying local industrial bases to reduce dependency on mining jobs.

The document examines how COVID-19 disrupted mining operations, specifically affecting direct employment, contractors, and local suppliers. It highlights the vulnerability of underground mining and non-permanent workers, while noting that automation and 'essential service' designations mitigated some impacts. The report argues for a transition from general stimulus packages to sector-specific support, emphasizing the need for new health protocols, increased local sourcing to reduce global supply chain dependency, and investment in worker reskilling to prepare for future systemic shocks.

The document analyzes how COVID-19 disrupted the mining sector through supply chain failures, reduced demand, and health-related closures. It highlights the vulnerability of non-permanent workers and local SMEs, while noting that automation may accelerate as a risk-mitigation strategy. The author recommends transitioning from general to targeted support, updating health and safety regulations, and investing in worker retraining to build long-term resilience against future 'black swan' events.

The guide outlines 20 essential components of a comprehensive legal framework for ESIA in the mining sector, covering the entire mine life cycle from exploration to post-closure. It emphasizes the importance of integrating social impacts alongside environmental ones, ensuring meaningful stakeholder engagement, and establishing robust financial assurances for mine closure. The document provides a phased roadmap for government action, practical tools for gap analysis and legal reform, and case studies on investor-state disputes to illustrate the risks of inadequate ESIA processes.

This guide provides a comprehensive framework for governments to implement and improve legal requirements for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) in the large-scale mining sector. It details 20 key components of an integral legal framework, covering the entire mine life cycle from exploration to post-closure. The document emphasizes the importance of public participation, financial guarantees for mine closure, and the avoidance of legal stabilization clauses for environmental and social provisions to ensure sustainable development and reduce the risk of international investment disputes.

The document outlines a comprehensive approach to mining governance, emphasizing the necessity of a robust legal framework for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP). It details the responsibilities of governments across five mining phases: prospecting, exploration, planning, construction/operation, and closure/post-mining transition. Key recommendations include ensuring legal consistency, mandating public participation and transparency, requiring financial guarantees for site restoration, and implementing strategic environmental assessments. The guide also provides practical tools for gap analysis and legal reform, while highlighting critical issues such as gender equality, indigenous rights, and the prevention of international investment disputes through clear, non-arbitrary regulatory processes.

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 report presents the inaugural results of the ReSource Footprint Tracker, analyzing the 2018 plastic footprints of Keurig Dr Pepper, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, and The Coca-Cola Company. Together, these companies reported 4.2 million metric tons of plastic. The analysis identifies a significant gap between corporate recycled content goals and actual use, which ranged from 0.4% to 11.3%. It highlights the United States as a primary area for increasing recycling due to high landfill rates (72%), and identifies China, India, and the Philippines as priority regions for mitigating plastic mismanagement. The document calls for collective action to scale recycled polypropylene (PP) and the adoption of reusable packaging systems to prevent 50 million metric tons of plastic from entering nature by 2030.

The research analyzes 259 autocratic regimes from 1946 to 2008 to determine if the predictability of election dates influences regime durability. The author posits that regular election cycles create focal points for dissident collective action and prevent incumbents from 'surfing' favorable political or economic conditions. Statistical analysis indicates that regimes with more regular electoral cycles have a significantly higher probability of failure. The study suggests that manipulating the electoral calendar—through snap elections or delays—serves as a survival strategy to stymie challengers and optimize the use of state violence.

The document identifies the Technical Assistance (TA) Facility for the Global Subnational Climate Fund as a Category I-2 environmental and social safeguards project. It lists target countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean, and confirms that an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) has been disclosed in multiple languages to comply with requirements.

The document argues that COVID-19 recovery should prioritize green technologies and renewables over fossil fuels to avoid stranded assets. It suggests that industry bailouts in sectors like aviation and automotive manufacturing be tied to strict green conditions and net-zero pathways. The text emphasizes the need to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, reduce capital costs for renewables in developing countries, and implement social protections for workers displaced by the energy transition.

The document tracks the evolution of MSME-focused initiatives within the WTO, specifically the work of an Informal Working Group comprising over 90 members. It outlines the group's efforts to identify barriers to global trade for smaller enterprises—such as access to information, trade finance, and high compliance costs—and details several draft recommendations and declarations intended to formalize a work program for MSMEs. It also compares these efforts with MSME provisions in regional trade agreements like the CPTPP and USMCA.

The IAI and CLARA have entered into a non-binding agreement to promote regional scientific capacities through the use of advanced networks, focusing on data management, open publications, and technological infrastructure for global change research in Latin America.

The statement argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for governments to focus all resources on public health, specifically the procurement of medical supplies, vaccines, and medicines. It calls for the immediate suspension of trade and investment negotiations at the WTO, bilateral, and regional levels, asserting that such activities divert critical resources and personnel. The authors highlight that intellectual property rules under the WTO's TRIPS agreement and free trade agreements may obstruct the affordability and accessibility of life-saving supplies. The document demands the removal of all trade barriers and unilateral sanctions that hinder medical procurement and urges a fundamental rethink of trade rules that encourage monopolies and limit healthcare access.

Friends of the Earth International and a broad coalition of global endorsers call for an immediate cessation of trade and investment treaty negotiations. They argue that governments, particularly in developing and least developed countries, lack the resources to engage in these negotiations while managing the COVID-19 health crisis. The statement demands that trade negotiators focus exclusively on removing obstacles, such as intellectual property rules and unilateral sanctions, that hinder access to affordable vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics.