Search Climate Insights Directory

This report provides a status update on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce as of December 2022. It analyzes the initiative's progress during its fifth year, contrasting it with broader trends in national, regional, and multilateral digital governance. The report highlights a shift toward a potentially less ambitious agreement for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), focusing on resolved trade facilitation issues while deferring controversial market access and data flow topics.

The July 2022 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the complexities of Africa's regional economic communities (RECs), the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union (AU), the identity crisis of the African Standby Force (ASF), and the systemic challenges in eradicating extreme poverty across the continent.

This policy brief examines the challenges faced by developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) participating in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on electronic commerce. It highlights a significant digital divide in infrastructure and information, arguing that current negotiations focus too heavily on regulatory cooperation rather than the foundational capacity building and technical assistance required for these nations to implement future commitments and benefit from the digital economy.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a statement to the Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries regarding the Climate Change Bill tabled on 18 February 2022. The CER argues that while the Bill is a critical tool for South Africa's climate response, it contains significant gaps in emission targets, enforcement mechanisms, and transparency. The document also critiques South Africa's 2021 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), stating it remains insufficient when compared to the 'fair share' of global mitigation effort required to limit warming to 1.5°C or 2°C.

This report analyzes Investment Dispute Prevention and Management Agencies (DPMAs), which are government bodies designed to mitigate investor-state disputes. The authors critique the assumptions used by international institutions to promote DPMAs and propose a typology to categorize these agencies based on their intervention point and operational logic. Through case studies of seven countries, the report highlights the diversity in DPMA design and warns of risks such as agency capture and the prioritization of investor interests over public policy goals.

This research paper examines the alignment and divergence between the European Union and African nations regarding the OECD's two-pillar solution for taxing the digital economy. It highlights the specific concerns of African states and regional bodies—such as the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and the G24—concerning profit reallocation, dispute resolution, and the impact of minimum taxes on investment incentives, while suggesting areas where the EU could provide technical and diplomatic support.

This policy brief examines the impact of the G7's proposal on the taxation of the digitalised economy on African countries, arguing that the US-led amendments to the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework (IF) favor developed nations and risk reducing tax revenues for developing economies.

The September 2021 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines critical stability challenges across Africa, focusing on the appointment of a high representative for the Horn of Africa, the diplomatic rift between Algeria and Morocco, the prevalence of enforced disappearances, security sector reform failures in South Sudan, and Sudan's decision to surrender Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court.

This August 2021 issue of the Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) handling of the political transition in Chad, the diplomatic divide over Israel's accreditation to the AU, and the coordination of military interventions in Mozambique. It also provides commentary on the geopolitical rivalry between Western powers and China/Russia in Africa and an interview on the role of culture in peacebuilding.

The June 2021 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) role in managing crises in the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Chad, while analyzing the institutional challenges of the Pan-African Parliament and the strategic partnership between the AU and the United Nations.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the intersection of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It analyzes how Chinese infrastructure investment and trade goals overlap with Africa's ambition for a single continental market, highlighting both the potential for synergy and the risks of economic imbalance.

This policy brief examines the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) from an African perspective, analyzing its compatibility with the African Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty) and the role of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE).

This policy brief examines the impact of the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and the transition to paperless trade on small-scale cross-border agricultural traders in Zambia. It highlights how digital requirements and language barriers create 'SPS-Plus' burdens for SMEs with low literacy levels, and recommends the adoption of a centralized single window system alongside targeted digital skills training and local language translations of regulatory information.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes South Africa's historical failure to champion human rights in its foreign policy, contrasting its domestic constitutional principles with its international actions. The author argues that South Africa has traditionally prioritized an 'anti-imperialist' struggle over human rights, though recent actions on the UN Human Rights Council suggest a shift toward greater commitment.

This policy brief provides a stocktaking of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) negotiations on e-commerce as of February 2021. It examines how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital adoption while widening the digital divide, and analyzes the current state of play in the JSI negotiations, including areas of convergence and persistent divergence among the 86 participating members.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and CUTS International provides a stocktaking update on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Initiative on Investment Facilitation. It details the transition from structured discussions to formal negotiations, the impact of COVID-19 on foreign direct investment (FDI) and governance processes, and the roadmap leading toward the Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12).

The April 2021 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the operational challenges of the newly merged African Union Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) department, the diplomatic deadlock over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and governance crises in Senegal, Benin, Cameroon, and Chad.

The March 2021 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines several critical security and financial challenges facing the African Union (AU), including the Ethiopia–Sudan border dispute, the insurgency in Mozambique, the AU's financial dependence on external partners, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) impasse, and the transition of AMISOM in Somalia.

This report examines the processes and challenges of disengagement for ex-Boko Haram associates in the Lake Chad Basin, analyzing the motivations for leaving the group and the varying national approaches to rehabilitation and reintegration in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the divergent approaches to migration between Africa and Europe, arguing for a shift from securitised responses toward a collaborative partnership focused on development, legal labour pathways, and the regularisation of remittances.