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This research paper examines the challenges facing the Codex Alimentarius Commission due to increasing scientific uncertainty and the resulting political tensions in international food standard-setting. The author argues that the Commission must evolve by incorporating elements of the precautionary principle to maintain its legitimacy and functionality in a globalized trade environment.

This briefing paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) proposes a shift from 'full system coordination' to 'targeted coherence' within Global Environmental Governance (GEG). The authors argue that deep, system-wide coordination is impossible due to the diversity of international organizations; instead, they suggest a modular, multi-tiered approach tailored to the specific mandates of different agencies.

This research paper examines the challenges developing countries face in implementing Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) standards and technical regulations. It argues that these requirements, while intended to promote sustainable development, often act as technical barriers to trade due to a lack of institutional infrastructure in rule making, conformity assessment, and accreditation. The author highlights how the gap in technical capacity and the high cost of certification disproportionately affect small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and calls for increased technical assistance under the WTO's Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement).

This research paper by David H. Stanger for the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the development of an international framework for accreditation to facilitate sustainable trade. It details the roles of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), their respective Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs), and the technical distinctions between laboratory accreditation and certification.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the proposed transformation of the African Union Commission into the African Union Authority. It analyzes the ideological divide between gradualist and maximalist approaches to continental integration and proposes a hybrid institutional model that balances intergovernmentalism with supranationalism to improve policy implementation and development.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates anti-corruption efforts within the South African Department of Social Development (DSD), specifically focusing on the delivery of social grants. It examines the transition from a fragmented apartheid-era system to a centralized model involving the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), while highlighting systemic challenges such as poverty, maladministration, and inter-agency tensions.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the operational challenges facing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ for Politics, Defence and Security (OPDS). It analyzes the Organ's evolution since its 1996 creation, focusing on the tension between state sovereignty and regional collaboration, the impact of socio-economic crises like HIV/AIDS on security forces, and the limited administrative capacity of the SADC Secretariat. The authors argue that while the region possesses strong political solidarity and a comprehensive security architecture, its efficacy is hindered by financial constraints and a precarious international environment.

This research paper by Ivor Chipkin examines the conceptual and political drivers of corruption and 'state capture' in South Africa. It argues that the persistence of corruption is not merely a failure of ethics but a result of a deliberate ideological struggle over the form of the state, pitting a liberal model of a neutral bureaucracy against the African National Congress's (ANC) 'National Democratic Revolution' (NDR) and 'cadre deployment' strategies.

This research paper by Ivor Chipkin of the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) analyzes the shift toward 'tyranny' under the presidency of Jacob Zuma in South Africa. The author argues that the Zuma administration's move toward lawlessness and 'state capture' was driven by a political project called 'Radical Economic Transformation,' which viewed the South African Constitution as an obstacle to economic change. The paper details efforts to control the media, weaken state institutions, and the subsequent emergence of a rejuvenated civil-society coalition that used litigation and political mobilization to defend constitutional democracy.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute examines land governance within the Ekurhuleni Municipality, detailing the legislative frameworks, institutional roles, and the systemic challenges associated with land acquisition and the management of informal settlements. It highlights the tension between municipal mandates and the realities of land invasions, environmental constraints like dolomitic land, and the role of civil society in mediating between the state and marginalized residents.

This brochure describes the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), a Johannesburg-based African research institute founded in May 2010. PARI focuses on research into constraints to effective governance, institutional design, and state-society relations to promote equitable policies and reduce poverty and inequality in South Africa and the global South.

This report details a study of household environmental problems in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), Ghana, focusing on the intersection of poverty, urban growth, and public health. Based on a survey of 1,000 households and physical testing of water and air, the study examines deficiencies in water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, pest control, food safety, and indoor air quality. It finds that poor households bear a disproportionate burden of environmental risks, which are strongly associated with childhood diarrhoea and respiratory infections.

This working paper analyzes the experiences of residential consumers installing rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across five Indian cities, identifying key information, financial, and institutional barriers that hinder the adoption of solar energy in the residential sector.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the institutional architecture for capacity building under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It argues that current efforts are too ad hoc and project-based, leaving developing countries with significant gaps in long-term organizational and institutional capacity. The authors propose that the post-2020 climate regime (specifically the Paris Agreement) should establish a formal 'capacity-building mechanism' and a long-term objective to ensure coherence, coordination, and sustained delivery of climate action capabilities.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute evaluates the Green Climate Fund's (GCF) 'direct access' modality, which allows institutions in developing countries to receive funding without international intermediaries. While 62 developing country institutions were accredited as of November 2020, 67 percent of them had not yet received project approval. The paper analyzes four support mechanisms—the Readiness Programme, Project Preparation Facility, Simplified Approval Process, and Enhancing Direct Access pilot—finding that high administrative burdens, funding gaps for concept notes, and rigid eligibility criteria hinder smaller institutions from accessing climate finance.

This World Resources Institute working paper reports on three workshops held in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to identify challenges developing countries face in monitoring and tracking climate finance. It details nine primary technical, political, and capacity barriers, ranging from inconsistent definitions and lack of institutional coordination to the limited transparency of development partners and the difficulty of tracking private financial data.