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The Finance and Administration Committee (FAC) reports that the IAI received an unqualified audit opinion for the 2022-23 fiscal year and recommends the approval of the 2024-2025 operating budget, which includes a proposed 20% increase in member country contributions.

The IAI is requesting an operating budget of US$ 1.68 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, an increase from US$ 1.4 million in 2023-2024. This growth is driven by the hiring of a Director of Communications, increased travel for strategic activities, and expanded outreach efforts. To fund this, the IAI proposes increasing country contributions by 20% for 2024-2025 and 5% in subsequent years, noting that delayed payments from some Parties are currently pressuring operational capacity.

The IAI's 2024-2025 work plan focuses on three main objectives: updating the IAI's Open Data Policy through participatory processes, enhancing the usability of its scientific and policy repositories, and supporting regional and global assessments, including those by the IPCC and United Nations.

The IAI Science and Open Data Committee's 2024–2025 work plan focuses on three main objectives: updating the IAI Open Data Policy through participatory processes and best practice guidelines; enhancing the usability of data platforms, including the scientific publications repository and the Harvard Dataverse catalog; and supporting regional and global assessments, such as UN common country analyses and IPCC evaluations on cities and climate change.

This briefing from the IAI Directorate proposes formal procedures for granting Permanent Observer Status at the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, as existing agreements and rules do not address the granting of permanent status.

This briefing document outlines the process for relocating the headquarters of the Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) from Uruguay to Panama, following a decision by the Conference of the Parties on 26 March 2024.

The IAI Executive Directorate is relocating its headquarters to Panama following a decision by the Conference of the Parties on March 26, 2024. The transition involves drafting a Headquarters Agreement to be approved by the National Assembly of Panama, with the process expected to align with the new government taking office on July 1, 2024. To ensure operational continuity, the IAI has requested that its current diplomatic privileges and bank accounts in Uruguay be extended until July 31, 2025.

The IAI and COIBA-AIP have agreed to a five-year partnership to strengthen regional capacities for addressing global change. The cooperation focuses on biodiversity, climate change, and the inclusion of indigenous and local communities, with a specific emphasis on the Coiba National Park World Natural Heritage Site. Key activities include sharing technical information, developing joint funding proposals, and facilitating COIBA-AIP's participation in the Belmont Forum.

The IAI's proposed 2024-2030 Strategic Plan focuses on three main themes: meeting the needs of member parties regarding global environmental change, advancing sustainability science in the Americas, and ensuring the institutional sustainability of the IAI. Key initiatives include funding transdisciplinary research on climate-health and biodiversity nexuses, expanding the STeP fellowship program, implementing an open data policy by 2026, and establishing a regional office in Central America and the Caribbean by 2025.

The IAI Directorate has proposed a Strategic Plan for 2024-2030 organized around three themes: meeting the needs of Parties to address global environmental change, developing science for the sustainability of the Americas, and ensuring the sustainability of the IAI as an organization. Key initiatives include funding transdisciplinary research on the climate-environment-health nexus, biodiversity, and ocean-coast-island systems through the Belmont Forum, as well as expanding the STeP program and establishing a new office in Central America and the Caribbean by 2025.

The IAI Executive Directorate is relocating its headquarters to Panama following a decision by the Conference of the Parties. The transition involves drafting a Headquarters Agreement to be approved by the National Assembly of Panama, with the process expected to proceed after the Panamanian general elections on May 5, 2024. To ensure operational continuity, the IAI has requested that its current facilities and diplomatic privileges in Uruguay remain active until July 31, 2025.

This briefing, prepared by the focal point of Chile for the 32nd meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), proposes that the Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2) be invited to become an Associate of the Institute under Article XI of the Agreement establishing the IAI.

Chile has proposed that the Climate Science and Resilience Center (CR2) be admitted as an Associate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). The proposal highlights CR2's regional research ambitions in South America and Antarctica, its interdisciplinary approach to bridging natural and social sciences, and its contributions to Chilean public policy, including the 2022 Framework Law on Climate Change and the design of Chile's NDC for COP25. Additionally, CR2's leadership in climate services is noted through the creation of the Climate Risk Atlas of Chile (ARClim) and 14 other open-access climate services.

The IAI Directorate is relocating its headquarters to Panama following a decision by the Conference of the Parties. The transition involves drafting a Host Country Agreement to be approved by the National Assembly of Panama after the 5 May 2024 general elections. To ensure operational continuity, the IAI has requested that its headquarters in Uruguay remain operational, including bank accounts and diplomatic privileges, until 31 July 2025.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research reports that as of March 31, 2024, cash income reached 70% of approved contributions for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Total expenditures for the period from July 2023 to March 2024 were US$ 832,446, which is 10.8% lower than the budgeted US$ 933,333. The report highlights a significant loss in purchasing power for Parties maintaining contributions at the US$ 5,000 level and urges those in arrears to submit voluntary contributions to ensure the Executive Directorate can fulfill its mandate.

The 2024 Extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held via videoconference on 26 March 2024, resulted in the consensus approval of Panama's proposal to host the IAI Directorate headquarters. The meeting included discussions on the transition from the current headquarters in Uruguay, with the IAI Executive Director requesting that operations remain active in Uruguay until July 2025 to ensure a smooth move. Panama's proposal was highlighted for its strategic location, potential for greater connectivity across the region, and increased engagement with Central America and the Caribbean.

The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) is a regional initiative designed to foster science-policy dialogue and collaboration in the Americas, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean. Between 2023 and April 2024, the SDC established three priority pillars: Capacity Building, a Knowledge Hub, and Emerging/Evolving/Innovation Issues. Key achievements include the launch of a Science Diplomacy Training Program for Policy Makers, the expansion of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) Fellowship program, and the development of a specialized science diplomacy curriculum with the University of Sao Paulo. The SDC is also building a Knowledge Hub to map experts, bibliography, and events, while engaging in strategic partnerships with organizations such as AAAS, UNESCO, and DiploCientifica to secure funding and expand regional training.

Panama is proposing to host the Executive Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). The proposal highlights Panama's strategic geography, the infrastructure of the City of Knowledge (Ciudad del Saber), and the country's commitment to climate action and biodiversity conservation as key advantages. By relocating the headquarters from Uruguay to Panama, the IAI aims to overcome logistical limitations and increase engagement with the 16 non-member countries in the Americas, most of which are in Central America and the Caribbean. The proposal includes detailed commitments for office space, diplomatic privileges, and financial contributions for investment and annual operations.

This briefing document outlines the process for relocating the headquarters of the Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) following the Uruguayan Government's decision to terminate its Host Country Agreement.

The document outlines the process for relocating the Executive Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). Due to financial limitations, Uruguay notified the IAI on January 31, 2024, that it would terminate the Headquarters Agreement effective July 31, 2024. Panama expressed interest in hosting the Directorate in December 2023 and submitted a formal proposal on March 8, 2024, after being the only country to manifest interest. The briefing recommends that the Conference of the Parties approve Panama's proposal during its extraordinary meeting on March 26, 2024.