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The document details the human rights violations resulting from the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam project in Panama, specifically the forced eviction of indigenous Ngöbe communities. It argues that the State of Panama, as well as Germany, the Netherlands, and member states of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), have failed in their obligations to protect the Ngöbe's rights to housing, food, water, culture, and education. The appeal highlights a lack of free, prior, and informed consent and calls for an immediate halt to evictions and project funding.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) opposes the REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) system, whether market-based or publicly funded. FoEI argues that REDD treats forests as mere carbon stocks, which ignores their social and cultural value and creates perverse incentives for deforestation. The document highlights risks such as the criminalization of traditional forest management, the displacement of communities, and the failure of carbon offsets to permanently reduce emissions. Instead of financial incentives, FoEI proposes strengthening the land rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, supporting collective forest management, and demanding that industrialized nations reduce fossil fuel emissions without relying on offsets.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) argues that REDD schemes, whether market-based or publicly funded, fail to address the root causes of climate change and risk harming the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. FoEI contends that REDD commodifies forests, reduces them to 'carbon stocks', and creates perverse incentives for deforestation while enabling industrialized nations to avoid direct emission reductions through offsets. The organization advocates for the recognition of communal land rights and the empowerment of forest-dependent populations as the only effective means of forest conservation.

The IAI activities plan for 2014-2015 focuses on institutional restructuring, the monitoring of CRN3 projects, and the leadership of the Latin American Future Earth Network. Key initiatives include a training event in Panama, the closure of a MacArthur Foundation project on Andean biodiversity, and participation in IPBES and UNFCCC processes, including planned events for the CoP in Lima.

The document is an open letter addressed to ministers and delegates of UNFCCC signatory states, urging them to adopt ambitious climate protection measures and stop the use of emissions trading to weaken climate commitments. The signatories, representing 33 countries, demand the rejection of a pilot phase for emissions unit trading under the Framework for Various Approaches (FVA), the prevention of double counting, and the exclusion of non-additional projects and coal from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). They also call for the cessation of fossil fuel subsidies and the implementation of human rights safeguards in climate projects.

The report documents systemic failures in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) across seven projects in five countries. It highlights consistent patterns of inadequate stakeholder consultation, violations of indigenous rights, and environmental degradation. Specific examples include coal power plants in India causing pollution and displacement, hydroelectric projects in Panama, Honduras, and Guatemala ignoring indigenous consent and destroying ecosystems, and a waste incinerator in China causing local pollution. The document argues that CDM safeguards are insufficient to protect local populations and ensure genuine sustainable development.

The document examines how international carbon offsets under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) have contributed to an oversupply of allowances in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) and the Effort Sharing Decision (ESD). It highlights critical failures in 'additionality', noting that many projects would have occurred without offset funding, and points to a lack of sustainability and human rights protections. The author recommends a ban on industrial gas projects, large-scale power projects, and JI track 1 projects for the 2013-2020 period.

A coalition of organizations urges the UN Special Rapporteur to recommend that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) integrate human rights protections into its governing policies. The request is driven by documented abuses associated with the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam in Panama and other CDM projects in Honduras and India. The authors propose four specific reforms: establishing international safeguards, strengthening stakeholder consultation, creating a project de-registration process for human rights violations, and implementing a grievance mechanism for affected communities.

The report analyzes the energy landscape of Central America, noting a contradictory trend where the region leads in geothermal and hydroelectric power but faces increasing dependence on imported fossil fuels. It argues that while the region has the potential to meet 100% of its electricity needs through renewables, significant gaps in data, administrative inefficiency, and fossil fuel subsidies hinder progress. The document recommends integrating technical resource assessments with socio-economic analysis (LCOE+), simplifying bureaucratic processes through 'single-window' permitting, and strengthening regional interconnection via SIEPAC to manage variability in wind and solar power.

A coalition of environmental and human rights organizations requests that the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and the Environment examine the Barro Blanco dam project in Panama. The authors argue that the project, registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), has proceeded without adequate consultation with the indigenous Ngäbe people, leading to threats to their land, culture, and physical security, including state-sponsored violence against environmental defenders.

A coalition of NGOs requests that UN Special Rapporteur James Anaya intervene in the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project in Panama to protect the Ngäbe people from imminent threats to their territories and physical security. The document argues that the project, expected to be completed by May 2014, will flood indigenous lands and cultural sites, and was approved despite failures in environmental impact assessments and stakeholder consultation. It further highlights reports of police violence against protestors and the Panamanian government's failure to fulfill a March 2012 agreement regarding an expert assessment of the project's controversies.

A group of international and local NGOs is urging the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to intervene in the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project in Panama. They claim the project threatens the Ngäbe people's territories, culture, and physical security, citing failures in environmental impact assessments and a lack of free, prior and informed consent. The coalition highlights state-sponsored violence against protestors and the Panamanian government's failure to implement a promised expert assessment of the project's impacts.

The project seeks to extend the historical record of landfalling cyclones back to 1500, investigate lightning as a proxy for intensification, and utilize high-resolution ocean and atmospheric models (HWRF) to improve storm surge and track forecasts. Initial findings indicate that lightning distribution differs between westward-tracking cyclones and those that re-curve and make landfall, with the latter showing more lightning in outer bands. Preliminary HWRF simulations at 3-km resolution still exhibit significant errors in track, intensity, and landfall location.

The report identifies Honduras as highly vulnerable to climate hazards, particularly droughts and tropical cyclones, which threaten the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and national development goals. It highlights significant gaps in climate data, institutional coordination, and adaptive capacity, while proposing a suite of local actions—such as improved water management and agroforestry—and national policy mainstreaming to reduce vulnerability.

The report analyzes the lack of formal legal recognition for TICCAs in Panama, highlighting conflicts between the National Environment Authority (ANAM) and indigenous peoples. It examines national environmental laws, the Constitution, and comarca-specific laws, noting that while state laws often ignore traditional conservation, indigenous customary laws—such as the Guna's Anmar Igar—effectively protect biodiversity. The document proposes strategies to integrate traditional governance into the National System of Protected Areas (SINAP) and protect indigenous collective rights over natural resources.

The IAI Executive Council met on June 26, 2012, to address operational budgets, scientific research grants, and governance restructuring. Key outcomes include the recommendation of a tripartite headquarters model distributed across Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina, and the approval of eight research projects under the third round of the Collaborative Research Network (CRN3) program. The Council also reviewed financial reports for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, noting a total of US$1.3 million in pending member contributions.

The report details the financial status of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. While 99.5% of approved contributions for the year were received by April 30, 2012, the institute faces significant arrears totaling US$1.3 million, with Mexico and Venezuela cited as major debtors. Operational expenses through February 2012 were 11% below budget, though salary costs exceeded projections by 6.4%. Cash reserves cover 3.8 months of operations, increasing to 9.2 months if US committed funds are included. Administratively, the report notes instability regarding the contracting of four staff members via INPE.

The document argues that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has failed its dual goals of reducing emissions and promoting sustainable development. It highlights that 40-70% of projects are non-additional, meaning they would have occurred without CDM registration, and that many projects cause social and environmental harm. The signatories call for the exclusion of fossil fuel and large hydro projects, the implementation of 'do no harm' assessments, and the creation of meaningful public participation and grievance mechanisms.

The statement details the social, environmental, and human rights conflicts surrounding the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project in Panama. It highlights the resistance of the Ngäbe Bugle indigenous people, the failure of stakeholder consultations, and the ecological risks to the Tabasará River, while criticizing the project's approval under the UN's CDM offsetting scheme.

The IAI Core Budget request for fiscal year 2012-2013 is US$1,312,578, a slight decrease from the previous year. The budget supports the Directorate's operations, including the management of the Collaborative Research Network (CRN) and Small Grants Programs, and accounts for the relocation of the Directorate from Brazil to Uruguay in January 2013. Salaries and benefits constitute 72% of the core budget. The document also outlines member country contributions, with the United States providing the largest share at US$762,000.