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The IAI Directorate expanded its international visibility and partnerships through participation in major climate and biodiversity forums, including the IPCC, UNFCCC, and CBD. Key achievements include securing Observer Status with the IPCC and UNCCD, establishing Memoranda of Understanding with Future Earth and IPBES, and launching a digital science communication campaign during COP-23. The Directorate also focused on enhancing the science-to-policy interface, specifically regarding ocean knowledge, climate-resilient megacities in the Americas, and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.

This briefing document, prepared by the IAI Directorate for the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties, proposes the adoption of a new Open Data Policy and Principles. The policy aims to facilitate the full and open exchange of global change research data among Parties, Principal Investigators, and stakeholders, establishing guidelines for data accessibility, preservation, and the development of an IAI Open Data Catalog.

The document reviews the integration of human rights and social principles across four key areas of the Paris Agreement implementation guidelines: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Adaptation Communications, the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), and the Global Stocktake (GST). It highlights that while some parties, notably Norway, Canada, and the African Group of Negotiators, have pushed for the inclusion of human rights and gender equality, these elements often remain absent from co-facilitator summaries or are limited to specific contexts like adaptation. The briefing notes that the role of civil society and intergovernmental organizations in the ETF and GST processes is a critical factor for ensuring social dimensions are considered in future climate action.

The global green bond market reached a cumulative issuance of USD 521bn by 2018, with USD 167.6bn issued in 2018 alone. The USA, China, and France emerged as the leading national markets. The report highlights a significant increase in issuance from financial institutions, particularly commercial banks, and a growing trend toward shorter-dated bonds. While Europe remains the largest overall market, the Asia-Pacific region saw the highest year-on-year growth at 35%. The market is also diversifying into other labelled instruments, including sustainability, social, and blue bonds, and expanding into emerging markets through the adoption of regional standards like the ASEAN Green Bond Standards.

The document outlines a formal partnership between IAI and the IPBES Secretariat to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity in the Americas. The cooperation focuses on integrating regional data into IPBES assessments, addressing knowledge gaps, and supporting the implementation of the IPBES Work Programme within IAI member countries. It defines operational guidelines for bilateral meetings, intellectual property, fundraising, and the use of official logos, with an initial duration ending on 30 May 2019.

The document examines how multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the mining sector use debt financing to reduce taxable income in host countries. It details common profit-shifting techniques, such as 'debt push down' and the use of hybrid instruments, and evaluates various regulatory responses. The primary recommendation is the adoption of OECD BEPS Action 4, which limits net interest deductions based on a fixed ratio of EBITDA, complemented by withholding taxes and transfer pricing rules.

The document examines how multinational mining companies use debt financing to shift profits out of host countries and proposes a combination of the OECD BEPS Action 4 framework and other fiscal measures to protect the tax base in developing nations.

The document examines how multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the mining sector use debt financing to shift profits from host countries to offshore jurisdictions. It details common base erosion techniques—such as debt 'push downs', interest rate markups, and hybrid instruments—and evaluates various policy responses. The primary recommendation is the implementation of BEPS Action 4, which links net interest deductions to a fixed ratio of taxable EBITDA (between 10% and 30%). The guide also discusses complementary measures including thin capitalisation rules, interest withholding tax (IWT), and transfer pricing regulations, while emphasizing the need to balance tax base protection with the maintenance of an attractive investment climate.

The document argues that communication and information poverty—characterized by lack of access to platforms, media misrepresentation, and low media literacy—undermines the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It specifically analyzes the intersections between communication rights and SDGs 5, 9, 16, and 17, while providing recommendations for a rights-based approach to communication. The report highlights the need to democratize media systems, increase digital media literacy, and address the specific needs of marginalized groups, particularly Indigenous peoples, which it claims are insufficiently addressed in Agenda 2030.

Friends of the Earth International denounces the Argentine government for cancelling the accreditation of 61 civil society representatives for the December 2017 WTO meeting in Buenos Aires. The organization argues that WTO policies often hinder climate action, such as the ruling against India's National Solar Mission, and penalize developing countries' food storage programs while allowing subsidies in the EU and US. The statement further criticizes the lack of transparency in trade agreements like RCEP and TTIP, calling for a trade system based on human rights, sustainable environmental policy, and food sovereignty.

Friends of the Earth International denounces the Argentine government for barring them and 60 other civil society members from the December 2017 WTO conference in Buenos Aires. The organization argues that WTO policies often obstruct climate action and food sovereignty, citing the penalization of India's National Solar Mission and public food reserve programs in developing countries. The statement further criticizes the secrecy surrounding trade agreements like RCEP and TTIP, calling for a trade system based on human rights, sustainable environmental policy, and food sovereignty.

This report by Friends of the Earth International documents systemic human rights and environmental violations by transnational corporations (TNCs) across eight Latin American and Caribbean countries. It highlights cases of corporate impunity, the use of investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms to challenge public health and environmental policies, and the violent suppression of territory defenders. The document advocates for a legally binding international treaty to hold TNCs accountable and the creation of an International Tribunal on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations.

This report by Friends of the Earth International documents systemic human rights and environmental violations by transnational corporations across eight Latin American and Caribbean countries. It argues that a 'architecture of impunity'—composed of free trade agreements, investment protection treaties, and the ICSID arbitration system—shields corporations from accountability while allowing them to challenge public health and environmental policies. The report advocates for a legally binding UN treaty on transnational corporations and human rights, including the creation of an International Court to ensure justice for affected communities.

The report details various cases in Latin America where transnational corporations in mining, energy, agribusiness, and tobacco have violated human rights and caused environmental destruction. It highlights the 'architecture of impunity' created by bilateral investment treaties and the ICSID arbitration system, which allow companies to sue states over public interest policies. The document advocates for a binding international treaty and an independent international tribunal to ensure corporate accountability and the supremacy of human rights over commercial interests.

The report details cases of corporate abuse in Latin America, including mining disasters in Brazil, the assassination of environmental defenders in Mexico and Honduras, and legal battles over public health and water in Uruguay and Argentina. It argues that current international investment frameworks, such as the ICSID, protect corporate profits over human rights and national sovereignty. The authors call for a binding UN treaty to end corporate impunity and the establishment of an international tribunal to hold transnational companies accountable for environmental and social crimes.

The executive summary outlines a framework for countries to conduct voluntary self- and peer reviews of fossil fuel subsidies (FFS). It describes the 'building blocks' of these reviews—including scope, definition, measurement, and evaluation—and provides practical recommendations based on the experiences of countries such as China, Finland, New Zealand, Peru, and Sweden. The guide emphasizes that these reviews are tools for peer learning and domestic reform rather than compliance mechanisms, aiming to align subsidies with sustainable development and international commitments like those of the G7, G20, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

As of May 2017, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has engaged with 105 countries on 165 readiness requests, committing or spending a total of USD 34.3 million. The programme focuses on strengthening National Designated Authorities (NDAs), developing country programmes and project pipelines, and supporting the accreditation of direct access entities. Key achievements include the provision of in-kind accreditation support to 102 entities across 55 countries and the development of strategic frameworks in various regions. The report details specific activities in countries such as Tonga, Djibouti, and Namibia, and outlines the establishment of no-objection procedures in 34 countries. Additionally, it highlights regional structured dialogues in Asia and Eastern Europe and Central Asia to facilitate project pipelines and knowledge sharing.

The document provides a comprehensive historical record of the IAI's governance, detailing the outcomes of its Conferences of the Parties (CoP) from 1997 to 2017. Key recurring activities include the election of the Executive Council (CE), the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), and the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), as well as the approval of annual operating budgets and country contributions. The records track the evolution of the institute's administrative framework, including the establishment of a Tripartite Headquarters structure, the development of open data and science policies, and the implementation of strategic plans for global change research. It also documents the institute's efforts to enhance science communication, manage funding through mechanisms like the Belmont Forum, and maintain diplomatic relations with member states across the Americas.

The IAI Science Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) report outlines strategic recommendations to improve the visibility, engagement, and financing of science-policy linkages. It details a December 2016 workshop in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where researchers and decision-makers collaborated on five thematic areas: health and diseases, land use and hydrology, weather forecasting and early warning, coastal and marine management, and urban monitoring. The report advocates for increased IAI Directorate capacity, specifically in outreach and fundraising, and suggests strengthening participation in international conventions and private sector engagement to enhance the application of scientific data in regional governance.

The report outlines the SPAC's efforts to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and decision-making in the Americas. It provides strategic recommendations for the IAI regarding visibility, policy engagement, and financing, while detailing the outcomes of a multi-sectoral workshop in Argentina that integrated scientific research on health, coasts, land use, weather forecasting, and urban environments into local governance.