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The document assesses Sweden's progress in constructing wetlands to make agriculture more sustainable, noting that the country achieved only 60% of its 12,000-hectare target between 2000 and 2010. It argues for a shift from a narrow focus on nutrient retention toward a multifunctional approach that includes flood control, biodiversity, and irrigation. Key barriers identified include complex water legislation, insufficient financial compensation for farmers, and coordination challenges. Conversely, enabling factors include strong political priority, inter-institutional collaboration, and a robust knowledge base. The paper recommends adopting a water basin approach and involving local actors to foster long-term relationships with landowners.

This report examines the drivers and flows of tropical timber exports from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda to regional markets, highlighting the prevalence of unregulated trade and the disparity in benefits among actors within the supply chain.

The document examines the 2011 Indonesian forest moratorium, highlighting its role in improving data transparency through the Indicative Moratorium Map and the necessity of private sector buy-in. It identifies critical challenges in monitoring, enforcement, and vertical coordination between national and local governments, while suggesting that the moratorium period be used to reform licensing and spatial planning to balance economic growth with climate goals.

The report argues that carbon trading is an ineffective and often corrupt mechanism for addressing climate change in Africa. It examines the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and voluntary markets, finding that they frequently favor large industrial polluters over sustainable development and marginalize local communities. Through case studies in South Africa, Uganda, and Ethiopia, the authors illustrate how 'additionality' is often fabricated and how projects can lead to land grabs or the subsidization of fossil fuel expansion. The document concludes that the carbon market is structurally flawed and should be abolished in favor of direct public funding and low-carbon development pathways based on historical responsibility.

The report examines the intersection of ecosystem management, poverty reduction, and climate adaptation in Belize, focusing on the vulnerability of its coastal zone. It identifies key drivers of change—population patterns, socio-economic development, and climate change—and uses scenario building to project outcomes by 2050. The study assesses Belize's current governance baseline across four clusters (institutions, policies, regulations, and capacity), finding that while sectoral policies are progressing, enforcement and integrated capacity remain weak. It proposes a transition toward stronger, more centralized governance and integrated cross-sectoral planning to enhance national resilience.

The document evaluates the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as a pioneering multi-stakeholder mechanism for global Internet governance. It argues that the IGF should be maintained because it defuses tensions over the U.S. oversight of ICANN and provides an open space for developing countries to address issues like access, security, and open standards. The report suggests that the 'Internet model'—characterized by shared ownership and bottom-up collaboration—could provide valuable lessons for the governance of other critical technologies, including those related to climate change and geo-engineering. It concludes by recommending that a second mandate for the IGF should focus on better integrating developing country concerns and mainstreaming sustainable development goals.

This research paper examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) influence the distribution of decision-making power within global value chains for coffee, forestry, and fisheries. Using a participatory governance framework, the authors analyze six major standards organizations to determine if these initiatives empower marginalized producers or reinforce existing power asymmetries.

The document analyzes Burundi's transition from a devastating civil war (1994-2005) to a democratic framework established by the 2005 Constitution. While the 2005 elections were generally seen as free and fair, the subsequent dominance of the CNDD-FDD party has led to a 'semi-democratic' state. The author identifies several critical pitfalls, including the ruling party's reluctance to share power, the repression of political opposition and civil society, and weak state institutional capacity. The paper concludes with recommendations for the government, parliament, and international community to foster a political climate conducive to the 2010 elections and long-term stability.

The letter calls on the UPOV Council to reform its observer status and information disclosure rules to ensure a more balanced representation of stakeholders, particularly small farmers and indigenous groups, in discussions on plant variety protection.

The testimony argues for the reinstatement of 1993 congressional conditions on GEF funding, focusing on transparency, public consultation, and NGO participation. It calls for an independent Secretariat to prevent the GEF from being captured by the World Bank and recommends that the Conference of the Parties for climate and biodiversity conventions set the GEF's policies and priorities. Additionally, it suggests a clear strategy for international waters and the establishment of robust oversight mechanisms, including the use of the Independent Inspection Panel for World Bank-implemented projects.

The report examines the governance of multilateral development banks (MDBs), specifically the World Bank Group and regional banks, focusing on their adherence to principles of access to information, public participation, and access to justice. While noting a shift toward formal disclosure policies and the creation of accountability mechanisms like the World Bank Inspection Panel, the authors argue that these processes remain largely ad hoc, inconsistent, and subject to broad discretionary exceptions. The document concludes that current MDB governance lacks systematic standards and recommends the establishment of an International Administrative Procedures Treaty to ensure minimum citizen-based rights across all international institutions.

The document argues that the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) must move beyond procedural participation to a human-rights-based framework that empowers the most affected communities. It recommends establishing robust modalities for Active Observers, creating a community access window for small grants, and implementing an independent grievance redress mechanism. The brief emphasizes that relying on World Bank standards for environmental and social safeguards or information disclosure is insufficient for the LDF's specific mission of climate justice.

The report argues that ArcelorMittal's operations in Liberia have failed to deliver promised development benefits due to systemic corruption and mismanagement of the County Social Development Fund (CSDF). It highlights how funds intended for affected communities were diverted to political projects in Gbarnga and criticises the company for complicity in this mismanagement. The document also details environmental risks to the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve and reports poor labour conditions and health services. Finally, it concludes that ArcelorMittal violated OECD guidelines by donating 100 pick-up trucks that were used by legislators rather than for agricultural purposes.

The report evaluates South Africa's sustainability transition, arguing that the green economy is often treated as a sector rather than an economy-wide transformation. It critiques the 2011 Green Economy Accord as a 'public relations exercise' due to a lack of enforcement and monitoring, while praising the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) for improving the inter-disciplinary nature of policymaking despite internal capacity constraints.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) possesses approximately 60% of the Congo Basin rainforest, storing an estimated 27 to 30 billion tonnes of carbon. Despite this importance, the DRC experienced a loss of over one million hectares of vegetation cover in 2023. The document highlights a systemic failure to enforce forest laws, noting that a moratorium on new logging concessions has been in place for over 20 years yet illegal logging continues. Specifically, a January 2024 review of 82 logging permits resulted in 23 terminations, while only 53 received conditional approval. The text identifies Chinese companies, including Booming Green and Wan Peng (operating via Congo King Baisheng Forestry Development), as entities that allegedly obtain concessions through influence peddling and ignore export quotas. Furthermore, a April 2022 decree suspending 12 illegally granted concessions covering over 1,966,630 hectares remains unenforced, with satellite data showing continued activity in these areas. In contrast, the document notes that community-managed forests have a deforestation rate 23% lower than the national average and 46% lower than that of logging concessions, suggesting community forestry as a viable alternative for sustainable management.

The document argues for the expansion of IAI's capacity for science synthesis and integration to better inform policy, while maintaining a non-hierarchical, flexible management structure. It references founding agreements, external reviews by the AAAS and OECD, and a Strategic Plan to justify the need for enhanced communication with stakeholders and the development of metrics to evaluate scientific effectiveness. The paper specifically warns against adopting a highly hierarchical directorate model, citing it as contrary to the IAI's consultative nature and previous operational successes.

The document outlines the process of creating community conservancies in Kenya, emphasizing the necessity of land registration under the Community Land Act 2016 to ensure tenure security. It details various legal registration options—including CBOs, NGOs, trusts, and cooperatives—and proposes governance models that balance community leadership with stakeholder collaboration. The guide provides a framework for developing management plans, securing wildlife, and negotiating fair contracts with private investors. Additionally, it advocates for the integration of traditional indigenous knowledge and the use of Bio-cultural Community Protocols to address climate change and biodiversity loss.

The report details how Transnet's governance was repurposed to facilitate large-scale corruption, primarily through procurement fraud involving the Gupta family and their associates. It examines specific irregular contracts for locomotives, port cranes, and IT services, highlighting the role of captured executives and board members in bypassing competitive tenders and inflating costs. The document also describes the systematic hollowing out of Transnet's internal treasury and oversight functions to allow for rent-seeking and money laundering.

The report examines the impact of the Turkey-North Cyprus water pipeline, an innovative project pumping water from the Taurus Mountains to North Cyprus, within the context of increasing water scarcity in the Eastern Mediterranean. It highlights a systemic failure in water governance in North Cyprus, characterized by short-term political tactics, lack of coordination, and unsustainable groundwater extraction leading to salinisation. While the pipeline provides a significant new resource, the authors argue that without comprehensive reform—including the creation of an independent regulatory board, better data collection, and bi-communal cooperation—the project may not ensure long-term climate resilience. The report suggests adopting OECD principles of water governance to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and trust.