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The report analyzes 26,170 foreign-made weapons seized by Rio de Janeiro police, cross-referencing them with international trade data to identify diversion points. It finds that while most seized weapons are Brazilian-made, foreign weapons—particularly from the US and Argentina—often enter Brazil via neighboring countries with lax regulations, such as Paraguay, or leak from official government stockpiles. The authors argue that exporting nations fail to adequately assess diversion risks and recommend stricter export licensing and stockpile controls.

This research paper investigates the impact of democracy measurement on the 'democratic peace' proposition, which posits that democracies rarely go to war with one another. The author compares the widely used Polity dataset with Vanhanen's Polyarchy dataset, which uses a simpler index based on electoral competition and participation. Through bivariate and multivariate analyses of conflict data from 1816 to 2002, the study finds that the choice of indicator does matter; specifically, electoral competition appears to be a stronger predictor of peace than the aggregated democracy scores. The author concludes that while different measures often correlate, they are not interchangeable and can lead to different inferences about the causes of international peace.

The report assesses the failure of the CAO Roundtable Dialogue in Cajamarca, Peru, arguing that the mechanism was manipulated by the Yanacocha Mine to serve as a public relations tool rather than a genuine conflict resolution instrument. It details how the mining company co-opted participants through economic agreements and systematically denied environmental impacts, leading to a loss of legitimacy and increased social polarization, culminating in the 2004 Quilish crisis.

The document examines the conflict between global intellectual property (IP) regimes and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), focusing on 'biopiracy'—the misappropriation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. It argues that requiring patent applicants to disclose the source of biological materials and provide evidence of prior informed consent (PIC) and benefit-sharing would create synergies between trade and biodiversity goals. While some experts suggest national or voluntary measures, others advocate for mandatory amendments to the TRIPS Agreement to ensure a level playing field. The report highlights specific cases of misappropriation in Peru and discusses various legal mechanisms, such as certificates of origin, to improve traceability and fairness in the patent system.

The document assesses the progress and deadlocks of the Doha Round negotiations as of November 2005. It highlights significant stalemates in agricultural market access, non-agricultural market access (NAMA), and services, while detailing specific disputes over fisheries subsidies, intellectual property rights (TRIPS), and the implementation of special and differential treatment for developing countries. It also reviews the impact of the 2005 expiry of textile and clothing quotas and the ongoing efforts to improve the WTO's Dispute Settlement Understanding.

This briefing note from the Center for International Environmental Law argues for the introduction of disclosure requirements within the TRIPS Agreement to align intellectual property rules with the objectives of the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD), specifically to prevent the misappropriation of biological resources and traditional knowledge.

The CRN program, initiated in 1999 with an initial investment of US$10 million, established 14 international research networks to investigate global environmental change in the Americas. The program successfully leveraged over US$20 million in supplemental funding by June 2004 and supported 429 students. Key scientific outputs include research on soil degradation in Brazil and Argentina, dendrochronological reconstructions of climate variability, the drivers of deforestation in the Amazon, and the impacts of UV-B radiation and ENSO on ecosystems and human health. The program emphasized capacity building through the training of graduate students and the creation of regional data portals and research stations.

The IAI is requesting a basic budget of $1,012,405 for the 2005-2006 fiscal year, representing a net increase of $74,086 over the previous year. This increase is primarily driven by a $92,622 rise in salaries and benefits, necessitated by high inflation in Brazil (the host country) and the hiring of a new Program Manager. To fund this, the IAI seeks a 7.4% increase in member country contributions, with the United States providing the largest share ($595,000). The budget also includes reductions in dissemination activities and other costs to offset the personnel increases.

The document examines the trend of 'TRIPS-plus' provisions in bilateral trade agreements, particularly those involving the United States, which extend copyright terms to 70 years and implement strict Technological Protection Measures (TPMs) based on the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It argues these measures undermine the public domain and impede access to knowledge in developing countries. Additionally, the report tracks Q1 2005 developments in the WTO, WIPO, CBD, WHO, and UNESCO, highlighting stalemates over pharmaceutical compulsory licensing, disclosure requirements for genetic resources, and the future work program of the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents.

The document examines the conflict between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), specifically advocating for mandatory disclosure of the origin of genetic resources and traditional knowledge in patent applications to prevent biopiracy. It also provides a quarterly update on IP negotiations within the WTO, WIPO, and other UN bodies, as well as developments in bilateral and regional free trade agreements involving the US and EU.

The report identifies several administrative and financial vulnerabilities within the IAI, including significant member country contribution arrears, inconsistent enforcement of reporting requirements for research grantees, and a lack of formalized procurement and labor procedures. KPMG recommends strengthening the approval flow for scientific and financial reports, standardizing grantee contracts, and updating the purchasing and employee manuals to mitigate legal and financial risks.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) proposes an alternative budget for fiscal year 2004/2005 that reduces total requested funds by $28,303 compared to the previous year. A key change is the creation of a permanent Program Manager position, whose costs will be shared between the Basic Budget and the CRN II Program, transitioning to 100% Basic Budget funding by 2007/2008. The IAI warns that its operational sustainability is highly dependent on member countries paying their contributions on time, as cash flow analysis indicates that receiving less than 86% of committed funds would jeopardize the Executive Directorate's operations.

The 20th SAC meeting of the IAI, held in April 2004, reviewed the progress of SGP I, SGP II, and CRN I research programs. The committee discussed the synthesis of CRN I results, established evaluation criteria for the upcoming CRN II and SGP III calls for proposals, and defined the necessary areas of expertise for new SAC members. Additionally, the committee sought ways to increase member country engagement and explored potential partnerships with US organizations like NOAA for observation and monitoring systems.

The IAI CRN program has established a broad network of scientists and institutions across the Americas and globally, leveraging over US$ 20.7 million in additional funds. The initiative has supported 429 students and produced a significant volume of refereed publications between 1999 and 2003. Specific project summaries highlight research on climate variability in Mesoamerica, water quality in the Andean Amazon, ENSO risk management, biodiversity in grasslands and forests, and the impacts of cattle ranching on deforestation in Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.

The report details the evolution of the IAI, from its establishment by 11 countries in 1992 to its operational phase in Brazil. It outlines the institute's mission to build scientific capacity and collaborative research networks to understand global environmental changes in the Americas. The document tracks the progression of the IAI Science Agenda, the implementation of various funding mechanisms such as Start-up Grants, Initial Science Programs (ISP), and the Collaborative Research Network (CRN) program, and the results of these initiatives in terms of publications, student training, and policy-relevant findings.

The report details the first ten years of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), outlining its mission to understand global environmental changes in the Americas. It describes the evolution of the IAI's scientific agenda, the establishment of its organizational structure, and the implementation of various funding programs including the Initial Science Program (ISP), the Collaborative Research Network (CRN), and the Program to Expand Scientific Capacity in the Americas (PESCA). The document highlights the institute's focus on climate variability, biodiversity, land use, and human dimensions, while documenting the creation of the Data Information System (DIS) and the hosting of several Summer Institutes to foster interdisciplinary cooperation across member nations.

The report details the first ten years of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), outlining its mission to understand global environmental changes in the Americas. It describes the evolution of its scientific agenda from seven initial themes to four broad categories, the implementation of various grant programs (Initial Grants, Initial Scientific Program, and Cooperative Research Networks), and the establishment of its headquarters in Brazil. Key achievements include the funding of 14 Cooperative Research Networks (CRNs) with a US$10 million investment, the training of hundreds of scientists and students, and the creation of the IAI-DIS data system. The document also lists specific research projects focusing on climate variability, biodiversity, and human dimensions across North, Central, and South America.

The document examines Brazil's role in the FTAA negotiations, highlighting the tension between Brazil's desire for agricultural market access and the US's push for the inclusion of 'Singapore issues' such as investment and intellectual property. It details Brazil's efforts to protect sensitive industrial sectors and its strategic use of Mercosur to avoid isolation as the US pursues bilateral agreements with other Latin American nations. The analysis concludes that the FTAA is shifting toward a flexible 'ALCA-lite' framework with a limited built-in agenda.

The document analyzes the intersection of intellectual property and development, highlighting the risks of fragmented negotiations across different international bodies. It focuses on three critical issues for the September 2004 WIPO General Assembly: the interrelation between the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and IP disclosure requirements, the proposed treaty on the protection of broadcasting organizations, and the future of the Substantive Patent Law Treaty (SPLT). Additionally, it tracks IP-related activities in the WTO, WHO, UNCTAD, and various bilateral 'TRIPS-plus' trade agreements, arguing that developed countries often use bilateral fora to circumvent multilateral flexibilities.

The report examines the shift in intellectual property standard-setting from multilateral forums like the WTO and WIPO to bilateral and regional trade agreements. It highlights the risk of "TRIPS-plus" provisions—standards exceeding the WTO's TRIPS Agreement—which erode flexibilities for developing countries. A central focus is the application of non-violation complaints in bilateral deals (e.g., US-Chile, CAFTA), which the authors argue could make WTO discussions irrelevant and restrict the right of states to regulate IP in the public interest. The document also updates activities in the TRIPS Council, WIPO's committees on patents and genetic resources, and various UN agencies regarding traditional knowledge and public health.