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This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) explores options for establishing a voluntary peer-review process within the G-20 to advance the phase-out and rationalization of inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies. It analyzes the benefits of peer review as a 'soft law' tool, compares existing mechanisms in other international forums, and proposes specific structural options and reporting frameworks to balance mutual learning with accountability.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the 18 June 2013 Preliminary Agreement for the Presidential Election and Inclusive Peace Talks in Mali, the challenges facing the July 2013 presidential elections, and the transition of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) into the United Nations Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

This policy brief examines the implications of a 2013 US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operation that targeted high-level cocaine traffickers in Guinea-Bissau, specifically former navy chief José Américo Bubo Na Tchuto and army chief António Indjai. While the operation signaled an end to institutional impunity, the authors argue that without a comprehensive strategy to rebuild the national justice system and ensure democratic transitions, the shift in power dynamics could trigger further instability and military backlash.

This situation report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the conclusion of Somalia's third transitional arrangement in August 2012. It examines the milestones achieved, the challenges that threatened the process, the factors contributing to its success, and the lessons learned for future peace initiatives in Africa.

The Autocomposites Commercialization Launchpad Kickoff Meeting, hosted by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Munro & Associates on June 27, 2013, aimed to create a commercialization plan for high-volume carbon fiber (CF) composite automotive parts, specifically focusing on the door inner. The initiative seeks to assemble a manufacturing team to produce a part for a 2018 model year vehicle at a volume of 50,000 units or more, addressing barriers such as high costs and inadequate manufacturing scale.

The Sovereign Emission Rights Framework is a proposal by Sandbag, submitted to the European Commission in 2013, for an equitable global emissions trading regime. It argues that emissions rights should be distributed based on 1990 population shares and that historical emissions since 1990 should be counted against these budgets to avoid 'hot air' and ensure a fair distribution of the remaining carbon space needed to avoid 2°C of warming.

This case study by the World Resources Institute examines Indonesia's efforts to mobilize investment in its geothermal energy sector, highlighting the transition from a regulatory environment that favored coal to one that addresses exploration risks and pricing distortions.

This report analyzes the strategic importance of President Barack Obama's June 2013 visit to Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. It frames the visit as part of a broader shift in US-Africa relations, moving from the strategic indifference of the 1990s toward a partnership focused on economic growth, democratic strengthening, energy security, and youth leadership development, while competing with China's significant trade presence on the continent.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights to the Minister of Mineral Resources requesting urgent action to remedy a legal gap created by the commencement of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Act, 2008 (MPRDAA), which effectively allows prospecting and mining to occur without approved environmental management plans.

This research paper examines the methodological approaches used to analyze the effects of trade liberalization on growth and poverty in South Africa, arguing that the debate is often polarized by an unrealistic focus on 'free trade' as a benchmark rather than evaluating trade policy against national development and industrial goals.

This research paper evaluates the consistency of carbon offset credits across five different programs in the U.S. carbon market, specifically focusing on landfill methane, manure management, and afforestation/reforestation projects.

A statement by Dan Magraw of the Center for International Environmental Law describing the 2013 protests at Gezi Park and Taksim Square in Istanbul, which began as a response to government plans to replace the park with a shopping mall and evolved into a broader movement against human rights abuses and the abuse of power.

A letter from a coalition of environmental and human rights organizations to UN Special Rapporteur James Anaya requesting intervention regarding the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project in Panama, citing threats to the Ngäbe people's territories, rights, and physical security.

This document consists of the participant lists for the 21st Conference of the Parts (21ª Conferencia de las Partes), held in Montevideo, Uruguay, on June 12 and 13, 2013. It provides the names, titles, organizational affiliations, and contact details of delegates, observers, and staff attending the event.

A statement by Friends of the Earth president Erich Pica alleging systemic conflicts of interest within the U.S. Department of State's review process for the Keystone XL pipeline, specifically regarding the hiring of contractors with oil industry ties.

This research paper presents a hydro-economic modeling framework that integrates farm-based economic models with semi-distributed hydrologic models to assess water policy interventions in Spain's Middle Guadiana basin. The study evaluates the impact of minimum environmental flows and reductions in legal irrigation water deliveries on agricultural profitability and ecological goals.

The KwaZulu-Natal Planning and Development Amendment Bill, 2013, proposes various amendments to the KwaZulu-Natal Planning and Development Act, 2008. It focuses on refining land consolidation and subdivision processes, updating public notice requirements, clarifying the roles of the Surveyor-General and Registrar of Deeds, and establishing transitional measures for older planning ordinances and the Development Facilitation Act, 1995.

The document proposes the creation of an Agricultural Water Security Market (AWSM) in southwestern Manitoba to manage water resource demands from the agricultural and oil and gas sectors amidst climate-driven supply variability.

The IAI Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) report details the selection and implementation of 10 international CRN3 teams, the need to fill six vacancies in the SAC membership by June 2013, and the strategic integration of natural and social sciences through the Future Earth initiative and IAI restructuring.

This progress report from the EC Chair of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the transition to a tripartite Directorate structure across Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, as well as challenges regarding the election of members to the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).