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The document argues that Indigenous knowledge keepers must have the freedom to control how their stories are communicated, as external media coverage often perpetuates invisibility or basic imagery. It advocates for the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples in content production and the capacity-building of Indigenous media professionals—such as photographers and filmmakers—to ensure the Indigenous worldview is accurately represented. The text emphasizes that content produced within these communities should be shared back with participants and that platforms should be provided for Indigenous communicators to define their own priorities.

The document argues against the exoticization and stereotyping of Indigenous peoples in media, urging a shift toward representing their actual diversity, self-determination, and contemporary realities. It highlights the danger of 'purity' narratives and 'White Saviour' tropes, advocating instead for the promotion of specific individuals and diverse forest ecosystems beyond the Amazon.

The 29th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (CoP-29) resulted in the adoption of 17 decisions covering financial budgets, governance policies, and scientific initiatives. Key outcomes include the approval of a new Gender Policy, a Whistleblower policy, and the establishment of a working group for a national climate assessment initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting also addressed financial strains caused by a lack of voluntary contributions and updated the IAI Scientific Agenda.

The report details the administrative, financial, and scientific outcomes of the IAI's 29th Conference of the Parties. Key actions include the approval of the 2021-2022 operating budget, the adoption of a gender policy for projects, and the establishment of a working group for national climate assessments in Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting also addressed the financial pressure caused by unpaid voluntary contributions and the need to combat predatory scientific publishing in the Americas.

Analysis of 2020 vessel tracking and manifest data reveals that a small number of mega-traders dominate U.S. cocoa imports through opaque networks and 'cocoa-laundering' via third countries. The report highlights how 43% of cocoa from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire passes through Europe and significant volumes from Peru and Ecuador funnel through Panama and Colombia, diverting revenue from producers. It identifies systemic obfuscation in import data, including the use of multiple company name variations by traders like Barry Callebaut to hide market dominance, and calls for U.S. legislative action to restrict imported deforestation and improve traceability.

This document is a participant list for the 29th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, which took place on 22-23 June 2021. It identifies representatives from member parties, advisory committee members, and observers from government agencies and scientific organizations.

The IAI report for the 2020-2021 fiscal year indicates that only 57% of approved contributions were received by April 30, 2021, with 8 countries delayed by more than three years. Total expenditures from July 2020 to February 2021 were $777,655, which was 16.7% lower than the budgeted $933,333, primarily due to COVID-19 restrictions on travel and physical meetings. The report also notes that contributions remaining at $5,000 since 1992 have lost approximately 89% of their purchasing power.

The report analyzes the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM), noting that while it is named a 'free trade zone', it functions more like an 'enterprise zone' by focusing on regional development and local employment rather than international trade. The authors argue that current tax incentives have not significantly improved productivity or wages, with 59% of employees earning up to two minimum wages in 2019. The document recommends redefining the ZFM's identity and linking tax benefits to local hiring quotas, education, infrastructure reinvestment, and sustainable activities that leverage the Amazon biome's comparative advantages.

The report identifies significant opportunities for green finance in Central America and the Caribbean (CAC), noting that while the market is small with only six deals to date, there is high potential for expansion in renewable energy, low-carbon transport, sustainable water and waste management, sustainable agriculture, and the blue economy. It highlights the role of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and regional stock exchanges in driving this growth, while providing a guide for issuers to align with international standards like the Climate Bonds Taxonomy.

The report analyzes the green finance landscape in Central America and the Caribbean (CAC), noting that while the market is small—with only six green bond issuances as of June 2020—there is significant potential for growth in renewable energy, low-carbon transport, sustainable water, and waste management. It highlights the role of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the leadership of Costa Rica in climate ambition. The document provides a step-by-step guide for green financing and explores emerging opportunities in sustainable agriculture and the blue economy, while discussing the economic disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the 2020 hurricane season.

The document analyzes the private sector's engagement with sustainable development, moving from a history of disinformation and lobbying against regulation to a current landscape of sustainability pledges and impact investing. It argues that while 'greening' existing systems is valuable, true sustainability requires a shift toward 'regenerative equity' through Sustainability-Oriented Hybrid Organizations (SOHOs) that prioritize people and nature over profit-driven growth.

The report addresses the lack of granular, standardized data on cooling finance, which currently relies on equipment sales estimates or fragmented sectoral data. To resolve this, the authors propose a 'Cooling Investment Tracking Framework' using a six-letter code-tagging system. This system evaluates four dimensions: cooling orientation (the extent to which cooling is the project's purpose), climate orientation (whether the solution is efficient, clean, or sustainable), solution type (categorized into technology, services, policy, and finance), and purpose (mapped to OECD DAC codes). The framework aims to help stakeholders quantify financial commitments, monitor the phase-out of high-GWP refrigerants, and inform national cooling action plans. The authors recommend piloting the framework with development finance institutions to create a universal standard for tracking sustainable cooling investments.

The document analyzes the private sector's complex relationship with sustainable development, noting a history of corporate disinformation and lobbying against environmental regulations. It identifies three primary modes of engagement: active obstruction, partnership with governments to implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the emergence of 'Sustainability-Oriented Hybrid Organizations' (SOHOs) that prioritize regenerative equity over profit. The author argues that while impact investing and 'greening' existing systems are valuable, they may be insufficient to achieve absolute decoupling of growth from emissions, recommending that policymakers support systemic transformations and SOHOs.

The report argues that current cooling finance datasets are fragmented and lack the granularity needed to evaluate investment patterns against global needs. To resolve this, it introduces a code-tagging system that categorizes transactions across four dimensions: cooling orientation, climate orientation, solution type, and purpose. The framework aims to move beyond simple equipment sales data to include passive cooling, policy, and service-based investments, ultimately informing targeted investment strategies to meet Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement targets.

The paper examines the GCF's 'direct access' modality, which allows developing country institutions to receive funding without international intermediaries. While 62 such entities were accredited by November 2020, 42 (67%) had not yet received project approval. The authors analyze four support mechanisms—the Readiness Programme, Project Preparation Facility (PPF), Simplified Approval Process (SAP), and Enhancing Direct Access pilot—finding that high costs, complex application processes, and restrictive funding rules create significant bottlenecks. The paper recommends automating 'kick-off' funding upon accreditation, streamlining the SAP, and allowing preparatory funds to cover internal staff time.

The report argues that emissions trading mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement risk undermining global mitigation ambition and causing human rights violations. It proposes three essential policy pillars—robust public participation, social and environmental safeguards, and independent grievance mechanisms—as prerequisites for any such framework. The document highlights failures in previous systems like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and provides examples of 'good policies' from development finance institutions to guide the UNFCCC in creating a rights-compliant rulebook.

The document argues that Southern Africa urgently needs climate adaptation funding, specifically for planned relocation, to protect populations from slow-onset climate impacts. It highlights a significant gap in adaptation finance, noting that most funding is directed toward mitigation or countries with high institutional capacity rather than the most vulnerable. The author advocates for planned relocation as a last-resort, voluntary, and developmental tool, warning against the poor outcomes associated with forced or poorly managed historical resettlements.

The report examines the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), adopted in December 2018. It argues that UNDROP fills a gap in international human rights law by recognizing peasants and other rural workers as collective rights holders, rather than just a sum of individuals. The document details how the Declaration protects collective rights to land, food sovereignty, seeds, water, and a healthy environment, while debunking myths that collective rights oppose individual rights or are exclusive to Indigenous Peoples. It provides strategies for applying the Declaration at national, regional, and international levels to hold states and transnational corporations accountable.

The document analyzes the 2018 UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants (UNDROP) as a tool to shift human rights frameworks from purely individualistic perspectives to the recognition of collective rights. It details how UNDROP protects the rights of peasants, indigenous peoples, and nomadic communities to food sovereignty, land, seeds, and a healthy environment. The report highlights the role of collective rights in supporting agroecology and community forest management, while debunking myths that collective rights oppose individual rights or are exclusive to indigenous peoples. It provides examples of national and regional applications and advocates for a binding UN treaty on transnational corporations to ensure corporate accountability for human rights violations in rural areas.

The report argues that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP) is a landmark instrument that recognizes peasants and other rural workers as holders of collective rights. It details how the Declaration protects food sovereignty, land tenure, and environmental rights, debunking the misconception that human rights apply only to individuals. The document provides examples of national and international applications of these rights and advocates for their inclusion in a Binding Treaty on Transnational Corporations and Human Rights.