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The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) submitted a report on 28 October 2022 urging the South African government to shift its fiscal framework from a narrow focus on debt stabilisation and primary budget surpluses toward targeting unemployment, poverty, and inequality. The IEJ argues that current austerity measures are causing a regression in the realisation of socio-economic human rights, specifically within education, healthcare, and social security, and proposes a transition to progressive taxation to fund public services and a permanent basic income support system.

An open letter dated 24 October 2024, signed by a coalition of civil society, labour organisations, and policy experts, addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The letter expresses concern that the National Treasury is exercising disproportionate influence over social development policy, specifically by obstructing the transition of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a permanent basic income system.

An open letter from over 75 economists and analysts to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African Cabinet arguing that government economic interventions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 are insufficient in scale and speed compared to global responses.

This research paper finds that approximately half of the target population for South Africa's Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant is excluded, with an average of 76% of those excluded being eligible. The study identifies that rapid digitalization and automation, lacking transparency and oversight, create systemic barriers to application, verification, payment, and appeal. These barriers disproportionately affect those already marginalized by digital, financial, and spatial inequalities, leading to severe hardship and hunger.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and #PayTheGrants (#PTG), through the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI), filed a court case in the North Gauteng High Court on 21 July 2023. The legal challenge targets regulations and implementation of the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which the applicants argue unlawfully exclude millions of people in poverty and violate constitutional rights to social assistance and food.

This briefing by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and #PayTheGrants (#PTG) outlines a legal challenge against the regulations governing South Africa's Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The applicants argue that the grant's eligibility criteria, application processes, and monetary value are unlawful, irrational, and violate the constitutional right to social assistance, resulting in the exclusion of approximately half of the intended beneficiaries.

This document is a summary of the 2024 Global Energy Transition Outlook own the energy transition transitionSSSSSS a comprehensive analysis of the energy transition_2024.pdf

The Unconditional Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) issued a statement on 1 May 2026 calling for the resignation or removal of South Africa's Minister of Social Development, Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe, following allegations of financial misconduct and governance failures.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice examines the intersection between unpaid care work and gender-based violence (GBV) in Brazil and South Africa. It argues that economic crises and austerity measures exacerbate the 'crisis of care', increasing women's vulnerability to violence. The document proposes a multi-pronged approach including universal basic income, gender-responsive budgeting, and intersectional data collection to empower women economically and reduce GBV.

This briefing note by the Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) analyses new conditions imposed by the South African National Treasury on the 2025/26 operating budget of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). The document argues that extending verification procedures used for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant—such as bank surveillance, database cross-checks, and biometric profiling—to longer-standing grants will lead to the erroneous exclusion of millions of eligible vulnerable people, including children, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

This submission by the Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) argues that food insecurity in South Africa is primarily driven by income poverty and unemployment rather than food scarcity. The document highlights critical gaps in the current social assistance framework, including the inadequacy of grant values relative to food inflation and systemic barriers to access. UBIC proposes transforming the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a universal, unconditional, and redistributive basic income for all adults aged 18-59 to immediately mitigate hunger, while calling for long-term structural reforms inS in the food system and an end to fiscal austerity.

This research paper by Paras Kharel, Kshitiz Dahal, and Dikshya Singh examines the challenges and opportunities facing Nepal's textile and clothing export sector as the country prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status. The authors analyze structural barriers to competitiveness, the role of niche markets and craftsmanship in industry survival, and the need for a shift in government policy from direct subsidies to institutional coordination and business development services.

The New Zealand Inventory 2025 details the government's fossil fuel subsidies using the OECD Inventory of New Zealand Fossil Fuel Support Measures. This internationally recognized system, used by New Zealand for over a decade, provides annual, verified accounts of support for the production and consumption of coal, oil, natural gas, and other petroleum products.

The research paper by Nicolas Lamp explores the emergence of 'multifunctional trade policy,' a paradigm shift where trade policy is used to achieve broad political goals—such as climate mitigation, national security, and labor rights—rather than focusing primarily on economic efficiency and trade liberalization.

This report argues that gender equality is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It examines the historical role of women in UN environmental policies, the economic costs of gender inequality, and the specific benefits of women's leadership in climate action, agriculture, and natural resource management.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines critical development issues facing the World Trade Organization (WTO) ahead of the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13). It focuses on the long-standing struggle to operationalize Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) for developing economies and the need for a smooth transition for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) upon their graduation from that status.

This briefing analyzes the historical and systemic link between poverty and environmental degradation, arguing that sustainable development requires integrating these two goals. It highlights how extreme wealth inequality drives resource overconsumption and how the world's poorest populations are disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters, conflict, and zoonotic pandemics like COVID-19. The text advocates for shifting government metrics from GDP to national well-being indices and limiting the resource consumption of the wealthiest 10% to allow the poor to escape poverty within planetary boundaries.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the potential outcomes of agricultural negotiations at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It identifies seven key areas of negotiation where member positions remain divergent and suggests that while comprehensive agreements are unlikely, modest results or work programs for post-MC12 discussions may be achieved, particularly regarding humanitarian food exports and transparency.

This research paper by Florencia Sarmiento analyzes the critical state of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations regarding fisheries subsidies ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). It evaluates the impact of the 2022 Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and the urgent need for additional disciplines to address overcapacity and overfishing to prevent the collapse of the existing framework due to a termination clause.

This briefing discusses the intersection of circular economy solutions and international trade policy as a means to achieve decarbonization. It argues that transitioning from primary raw materials to secondary materials, extending product lifespans, and reforming trade barriers are essential for meeting net-zero goals, as the extraction and processing of material resources account for half of global greenhouse gas emissions.