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SGR acknowledges IOM3's move to a fund excluding arms and high-carbon fossil fuels but argues that the Institute maintains insufficient transparency and continuing financial links to the fossil fuel sector. The letter demands a rapid phase-out of all ties to companies not aligned with the Paris Agreement's 2°C goal, the adoption of a formal responsible investment policy, and the reporting of the investment portfolio's carbon footprint.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) has called on the Royal Meteorological Society to phase out financial ties to the fossil fuel and arms industries. While acknowledging the Society's commitment to becoming a net zero organisation, SGR identifies critical gaps in transparency regarding investments and a lack of a formal environmental policy. The letter demands the disclosure of corporate payments over £1,000 and investments over £5,000, alongside a transition to fossil-fuel-free indexes. SGR benchmarks these demands against other professional bodies, such as the British Medical Association and the Geological Society, which have already implemented divestment or restrictive investment policies.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) has written to the Royal Society calling for the rapid phase-out of financial ties to the fossil fuel and arms industries. SGR identifies several concerns, including the acceptance of donations from these sectors and a lack of transparency regarding specific company investments. The letter outlines ten specific demands, including the use of fossil fuel-free indexes, reporting the carbon footprint of the investment portfolio, and joining the Pledge to Net Zero. SGR notes that other professional bodies, such as the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Physicians, have already divested from fossil fuels and arms companies.

SGR acknowledges The Geological Society's recent updates to exclude arms and high-carbon emissions from its investment policy but argues that financial ties to fossil fuels persist through corporate patronage and sponsorship. The letter demands a rapid phase-out of investments in companies not aligned with the 2C Paris goal, the adoption of a formal environmental policy, and the disclosure of corporate payments over 1,000. SGR cites other UK professional bodies that have divested from fossil fuels as benchmarks for the Society's expected progress.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) has called on the Institute of Physics (IOP) to end its financial ties to the fossil fuel and arms industries. SGR identifies ongoing concerns regarding the IOP's lack of transparency in investments and its acceptance of sponsorship from arms companies. The letter demands a rapid phase-out of investments in companies whose activities are not aligned with the Paris Agreement's 2°C goal, the adoption of fossil fuel-free indexes, and the elimination of links to the military technology sector, citing examples of other professional bodies that have already divested.

The Ethiopian Reconciliation Commission (ERC), established in 2019, faces significant operational and political hurdles that hinder its ability to implement substantive reconciliation activities. The report identifies a lack of clarity regarding the Commission's material and temporal mandates, an oversized and technically under-qualified membership, and a lack of independence and public trust. It recommends that the Ethiopian government revise the ERC's founding proclamation to specify its focus on gross human rights violations and recurrent conflicts, restructure the Commission to be leaner and more expert-led, and empower it to recommend reparations and conditional amnesties. Furthermore, the report emphasizes that the ERC's success depends on a conducive political environment fostered by an inclusive national dialogue.

Developing countries are increasingly facing 'compound shocks'—simultaneous or sequential disruptive events like pandemics, economic crises, and climate-driven disasters—which deplete budgets and cause cascading system failures. The authors argue that the current disaster risk finance architecture over-incentivizes ex post relief over ex ante preparedness. To address this, they propose that the World Bank's IDA offer softer financing terms (higher grant components) to countries that commit to specific resilience investments in data collection, regulatory reform, budgetary frameworks, and early warning systems. Additionally, they recommend introducing automatic 'disaster clauses' in IDA debt to defer payments following major shocks, similar to models used by Grenada and Barbados. Finally, the document proposes transforming the Global Risk Financing Facility (GRiF) into a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) to increase its operational independence, broaden its donor base beyond Germany and the United Kingdom, and better support regional risk pools and risk measurement capacity.

The document argues that the creation of the African Union's Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (DPAPS) was primarily a financial cost-cutting exercise rather than a strategic move toward integrated crisis response. It identifies critical gaps in coordination between the African Governance Architecture (AGA) and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), noting a risk that military and reactive approaches will continue to be prioritized over political and preventive diplomacy. The authors recommend establishing standard operating procedures, creating a strategic coordination unit (possibly a Chief of Staff), and harmonizing funding instruments to ensure sustainable support for conflict prevention. Politically, the brief emphasizes the need for a clear legal definition of subsidiarity between the AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and increased engagement of the AUC Chairperson in Peace and Security Council (PSC) proceedings.

The document examines the legal frameworks governing the appointment and removal of senior officials in South Africa's criminal justice system, specifically the NPA, SAPS, DPCI, and IPID. It argues that these processes are currently susceptible to political manipulation and patronage, which undermines the rule of law and institutional legitimacy. The author highlights a lack of rigorous selection criteria and the absence of independent oversight panels, noting that the President and Ministers often exercise unchecked discretion. To remedy this, the document proposes the institutionalisation of independent selection panels, the adoption of more specific 'fit and proper' criteria, and the implementation of non-renewable terms of office to prevent favour-seeking. It also suggests that removal processes should be guided by independent boards chaired by judges to ensure impartiality.

The report identifies a crisis in South Africa's public procurement system, characterized by systemic corruption, political interference, and a lack of professional capacity. It argues that the current legal regime is overly complex and fragmented, often prioritizing rigid compliance over operational efficiency and developmental goals. The authors propose several reforms: the creation of a single regulatory authority, the adoption of a principles-based strategic procurement approach, and the introduction of 'qui tam' mechanisms to incentivize whistleblowers through financial rewards for recovering defrauded state funds.

The report argues that South Africa's state is in crisis due to systemic corruption and patronage, which are enabled by the unchecked power of politicians over public administrative appointments and procurement. It proposes a 'path to professionalisation' through the creation of independent checks and balances, specifically by dividing appointment processes into stages managed by independent bodies like the Public Service Commission. For criminal justice institutions (NPA, SAPS, DPCI, IPID), it advocates for transparent selection panels to insulate leadership from political interference. Regarding public procurement, the report identifies a crisis of non-compliance and capacity, proposing a single coherent statute, a unified regulatory authority, and the introduction of 'qui tam' mechanisms to incentivise private citizens to report and sue for procurement fraud.

The Republic of Chad is seeking a second GCF readiness grant to address gaps in climate finance mobilization. The proposal focuses on four main outcomes: strengthening the institutional capacity of the National Designated Authority (NDA), updating the national GCF website, operationalizing the No-Objection Procedure (NOP), and establishing a Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) tool for climate finance flows. Additionally, it aims to update the Chad Country Programme and develop at least three high-quality project concept notes in sectors such as agriculture, water, and fisheries. A significant component of the request is the mobilization of the private sector through a landscape analysis and a call for project ideas to reduce the country's climate investment deficit.

The report examines the mechanism of Common African Positions (CAPs) used by the African Union to articulate collective interests on the global stage. While highlighting successes such as the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Position on Asset Recovery, it identifies critical weaknesses including a lack of member state ownership, over-dependence on external funding, and a disconnect between AU headquarters in Addis Ababa and multilateral diplomatic hubs. The author argues that for CAPs to be effective, the AU must move toward more inclusive, participatory processes and ensure that member states, rather than AU bureaucracy, drive the advocacy and implementation of these positions.

The report evaluates the African Union's (AU) limited capacity to intervene in crises due to principles of national sovereignty and subsidiarity. It details the unraveling political alliance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the conceptual and operational failures of the 'Silencing the Guns in Africa 2020' initiative, and identifies high-risk elections and conflicts in countries such as South Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia for 2021. Additionally, it features an interview on the necessity of a culturally contextualized African mediation doctrine based on the AU's experience in Sudan.

The document outlines a readiness project implemented by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to support 13 accredited and applicant Direct Access Entities (DAEs) within the International Development Finance Club (IDFC). The project aims to remove barriers to GCF accreditation and funding by providing technical assistance for fiduciary, environmental, social, and gender policies, and by developing climate finance tools for risk and impact assessment. Key deliverables include an IDFC-GCF Toolkit, a joint DAE-IDFC Work Program, and the development of multi-country concept notes focusing on climate-resilient recovery post-COVID-19, specifically targeting MSMEs and vulnerable populations in sectors like renewable energy and sustainable land use.

The report examines the systemic failure of police accountability in South Africa, arguing that the existence of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has inadvertently allowed the South African Police Service (SAPS) to neglect its own internal duty to monitor and report on the use of force. It highlights a 'vicious cycle' where high levels of police violence overwhelm the external oversight body, while internal accountability remains minimal due to outdated policies and legal protections like the right to silence. The author recommends that SAPS leadership be held directly accountable by Parliament, that the service implement a comprehensive Use of Force Policy developed by the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, and that internal reporting systems be strengthened to record all firearm discharges, not just those resulting in death or complaints.

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that the US federal government has lacked science leadership since 2017, citing delayed appointments and reduced staffing at the OSTP. To remedy this, the document proposes a series of immediate actions for a new administration, including appointing a nationally respected scientist as OSTP director, restoring federal advisory committees, and establishing interagency working groups to address COVID-19, environmental justice, and scientific integrity. It emphasizes the need for a science-based budget and stronger whistleblower protections to prevent political interference in research.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) argues that the EPA has systematically undermined scientific integrity since January 2017 through political censorship, the sidelining of expert advisory committees, and the suppression of research. The report details specific instances of scientific failure—such as the reversal of a chlorpyrifos ban and the delay of a formaldehyde assessment—and proposes a comprehensive roadmap for reform. Key recommendations include lifting hiring freezes on scientific positions, rescinding rules that restrict the use of confidential data in regulatory science, and establishing a formal process for resolving differing scientific opinions. The document also emphasizes the need to eliminate industry conflicts of interest among political appointees and to protect the rights of scientists to communicate their findings to the public without political interference.

The IAI Executive Directorate's 2019-2020 report details progress in transdisciplinary research, capacity building, and open science, while noting significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Key achievements include the launch of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) fellowship program in Argentina and the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Organization of American States (OAS). The report also highlights efforts to align scientific agendas with human systems and the development of a flexible funding mechanism for the Americas in collaboration with the Belmont Forum.

The scoping report identifies a general consensus on the importance of gender-responsive climate action in Ethiopia but highlights significant gaps in institutionalization, accountability, and technical expertise. While the Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) have undergone gender analyses, the report finds that attitudinal barriers and a lack of coordination between gender directorates and climate coordination offices hinder implementation. It specifically notes that sectors like transport and urban planning are overlooked compared to agriculture, and recommends the establishment of a Standing Committee and a Gender Readiness Fund to bridge these gaps.