Towards COP30: Brazil and the IAI promote a common science and policy agenda

From August 6 to 8, Brasilia hosted a high-level workshop on science diplomacy co-organized by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the Center for Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE).

Photo: Daniel Lebre

The meeting brought together nearly 100 representatives from governments, research centers, and productive sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the aim of promoting common solutions to climate change and linking science with public policies in the region.

During three days of intense sessions, delegates from 15 countries worked on key issues such as climate governance, innovation in strategic sectors, and regional integration of scientific data, with the aim of consolidating a common vision for COP30.

The event provided opportunities for technical and political dialogue, as well as dynamics for the co-creation of tools to strengthen scientific diplomacy as an instrument for cooperation and climate action.

As Carlos Matsumoto, Head of the Special Office for International Affairs and General Coordinator for Multilateral Cooperation at the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and permanent national representative to the IAI, explains, "Our public officials often work with science diplomacy on a daily basis and are not aware of it. This workshop has brought together the people, knowledge, and connections necessary for us to work together and improve our activities." 

This effort is particularly relevant in a year in which Brazil simultaneously holds the presidency of the G20, BRICS, and MERCOSUR, and is preparing to host COP30 in Belém. In this context, the workshop positions the region as a benchmark in the promotion of evidence-based public policies and scientific collaboration. 

The workshop was based on the curriculum “Scientific Diplomacy and Global Environmental Change in the Americas” developed by the IAI, the University of São Paulo, InnSciD, and CAENI, available in a free self-paced course on the IAI Virtual Campus.

The results of the workshop will contribute to consolidating a Latin American agenda for science diplomacy, ahead of international negotiations on climate and sustainable development.

In this way, the IAI reaffirms its role as a regional platform for collaboration between science and politics, promoting concrete actions that position the region as a strategic actor on the global agenda.

The concept note, agenda, list of speakers and participants, and links to media publications are available here.

For more information about the event or the IAI's Center for Science Diplomacy, please write to sdc@dir.iai.int