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This technical annex assesses Goal 6 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which sought the inclusion of ambitious, quantitative forest conservation and restoration targets for 2030 within the post-2015 global development framework. The document concludes that Goal 6 was achieved through the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015, though it identifies significant weaknesses in how these goals are measured and reported.

This executive summary evaluates the progress of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) five years after its 2014 inception. It concludes that achieving the 2020 targets is nearly impossible, as tropical deforestation continues at unsustainable rates and restoration efforts are too slow and often occur outside natural forests. While some governments and companies have taken action, these efforts are described as isolated and insufficient to catalyze systemic change.

This executive summary evaluates progress five years after the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), concluding that the goals to halve tropical deforestation by 2020 and end it by 2030 are unlikely to be met. The report highlights an acceleration in the loss of primary forests, inadequate restoration progress, and a significant gap between 'grey' finance for agriculture and 'green' finance for forest conservation.

This executive summary evaluates the progress of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) five years after its 2014 inception. It concludes that the 2020 goals of halving tropical deforestation and restoring 150 million hectares of degraded landscapes are likely unattainable, as tropical deforestation continues at an unsustainable rate and restoration efforts have largely occurred outside natural forests.

The 2019 five-year assessment of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) concludes that the 2020 goals to halve tropical deforestation and restore 150 million hectares of land are likely impossible to achieve. Despite some progress in Indonesia and specific sectoral moratoria, tropical primary forest loss has increased, and global deforestation remains unsustainable, driven largely by agricultural commodities. Restoration efforts have largely occurred outside natural forests, and corporate commitments have stagnated. The report highlights a critical lack of financial investment compared to other climate goals and emphasizes that the reversal of environmental policies in Brazil and the failure to secure indigenous land rights further undermine forest conservation.

The 2019 five-year assessment of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) finds that the 2020 goals to halve tropical deforestation and restore 150 million hectares of degraded land are likely unattainable. Despite some progress in Indonesia and the existence of corporate commitments, tropical forest loss remains unsustainable, driven largely by agricultural expansion and poverty. The report highlights a critical lack of 'green' financing and a need for stronger governance and recognition of indigenous land rights to prevent further loss of primary forests.

The New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) Endorser Perspectives Report evaluates progress five years after the 2014 launch of the NYDF. Based on consultations with 84 endorsers, the report finds that while many commitments have been made, global deforestation has accelerated by 44% since 2014, and the world is not on track to meet its collective forest goals. The report identifies critical barriers—including weak governance, insufficient finance, and insecure land tenure—and outlines eight key lessons to transition from high-level commitments to measurable implementation.

This report presents the perspectives of signatories of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) five years after its 2014 inception. It evaluates progress toward ten global goals to end natural forest loss by 2030, identifying systemic barriers such as weak governance, insufficient financing, and land tenure insecurity, while highlighting successful multi-stakeholder partnerships and nature-based solutions.

This report evaluates the progress of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) five years after its inception. It finds that despite increased awareness and technological monitoring, global deforestation has accelerated, and most 2020 targets will be missed. The document highlights a critical gap in funding, where investments driving deforestation vastly outweigh those for conservation. It emphasizes that indigenous land rights and strong political will are essential prerequisites for success, while corporate progress is stalled by supply chain complexity. The report calls for a paradigm shift toward 'green finance' and nature-based solutions to align forest protection with global climate and sustainable development goals.

This report by the Forest Declaration Assessment (UNDP) evaluates the progress of signatories of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) five years after its 2014 launch. Based on consultations with 84 signatories—including governments, companies, NGOs, and indigenous organizations—the document identifies critical barriers to ending natural forest loss by 2030 and outlines eight key lessons to accelerate implementation. It emphasizes that while high-level commitments are numerous, measurable action is lagging, with tropical primary forest loss increasing by 44% between 2002-13 and the reporting period.

This case study by the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) examines the effectiveness of Challenge Funds (CF) in building resilience. It synthesizes lessons from GRP's own 'Global Resilience Challenge' and 'Water Window Challenge' alongside a literature review of various international funds. The document provides a framework for the four stages of a Challenge Fund—design, selection, implementation, and scaling—and offers specific recommendations to improve the delivery of resilience outcomes, emphasizing the need for flexibility, local partnership, and long-term scaling strategies.

This report synthesizes the results of ten projects funded under Round 1 (R1) of the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP), which were supported by USAID. The projects focused on transforming risks from climate shocks and stresses into opportunities across sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. The synthesis evaluates progress across four Impact Pathways: policy influencing, finance and investment, innovation and scaling, and knowledge and partnership. Key outcomes include the support of over 5 million beneficiaries, the development of innovative digital and financial tools, and the empowerment of vulnerable groups, including women and people with disabilities.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) report synthesizes the results of the Water Window Challenge, a program funded by the Z Zurich Foundation to improve flood resilience. The initiative supported 11 grantees implementing 12 projects across sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. The report evaluates progress through four Impact Pathways: policy influencing, finance and investment, innovation and scaling, and knowledge and partnership. Key outcomes include supporting over 500,000 people, establishing new partnerships, and implementing innovative technological and agricultural solutions to mitigate flood risks.

The Resilience Insights report by the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) synthesizes evidence from innovation challenges and partner programs to identify effective strategies for building resilience in vulnerable communities. It emphasizes a shift from reactive to systemic, transformative approaches, highlighting five key intervention areas: nature-based solutions, empowerment of marginalized groups, information/technology, inclusive finance, and low-cost infrastructure. The report argues that effective programming must be systemic, layered, inclusive, and long-term, moving beyond short-term project cycles to achieve sustainable, non-linear transformational change.

A meeting report detailing a three-day symposium held in Dakar, Senegal, in September 2019, focused on challenging dominant neoclassical economic orthodoxies in Africa. The event, co-hosted by TrustAfrica and the Institute for Economic Justice, brought together academics, policymakers, and activists to analyze the impact of neoliberal policies and develop heterodox, rights-based alternatives for development and economic justice.

The September 2019 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the coordination between the African Union (AU) and the UN Security Council (UNSC), the challenges of the AU's 'Amnesty Month' initiative, and specific political crises in the Central African Republic, Sudan, South Africa, and Cameroon.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the political and socio-economic environment surrounding Mozambique's October 15, 2019, general elections. It examines the impact of a massive corruption scandal, natural disasters, an insurgency in the north, and new decentralization laws on the stability and credibility of the electoral process.

This report analyzes the failure of Section 139 interventions in South African municipalities between 1998 and 2019. It finds that interventions are typically initiated too late, are legally misclassified to avoid mandatory financial recovery processes, and rely on an unauthorized 'administrator model' that often exacerbates municipal collapse. The authors call for a standardized, non-political implementation framework with clear triggers and strengthened oversight.

This research paper examines the role of digital financial services (DFS) in promoting financial inclusion, with a detailed case study on South Africa. It explores the global benefits and risks of digitisation, South Africa's progress toward its National Development Plan targets, and the broader opportunities for digital financial transition across the African continent.

This briefing from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) introduces a multidisciplinary toolkit designed to create more effective development interventions by combining service design, complex adaptive systems thinking, and behavioural science. The approach aims to move beyond the dichotomy of top-down and bottom-up strategies through a highly iterative, seven-stage process that emphasizes stakeholder co-definition and rapid prototyping.