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This policy brief by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) argues that South Africa's efforts to curb political interference in public administration appointments are hindered by an 'across-the-board' legislative approach. The author proposes a 'strategic incremental approach' that empowers the Public Service Commission (PSC) to act as an independent check on recruitment, starting with senior administrative heads and expanding gradually via presidential proclamation to avoid political backlash and the disruption of patronage networks.

This policy brief examines the coordination challenges between the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and Rwanda regarding military interventions to combat violent extremism in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province. It highlights the friction caused by the principle of subsidiarity, the lack of a joint strategic vision, and the differing operational approaches of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) and the bilateral Rwandan deployment.

This briefing introduces a four-part series by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) designed to address knowledge gaps regarding the social and economic sustainability of nature-based solutions (NbS). The series focuses on the potential risks, trade-offs, and the necessity of ensuring social equity, finance, and scale are integrated into NbS to avoid reinforcing existing inequalities.

This policy brief examines the risk of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) claims against governments arising from national investment laws, particularly in the context of emergency COVID-19 measures. It highlights how domestic laws providing consent to international arbitration can expose states to costly claims and suggests mitigation strategies.

This policy brief examines the rights of landlocked states to access the sea and marine resources under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), emphasizing the necessity of bilateral, sub-regional, or regional agreements to operationalize these rights. It highlights the role of transit states and provides examples of successful transport corridors in Africa.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) analyzes the persistent blockages in the Security Sector Reform (SSR) process in Guinea-Bissau. It examines the historical role of the armed forces, the failures of previous reform attempts since 2005, and the political tensions between military and civilian authorities. The document provides recommendations to relaunch the reform by focusing on realistic force sizes, institutionalization, and the role of regional partners like ECOWAS.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines Liberia's transition to a peaceful democracy ahead of the October 2017 elections and the final drawdown of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNMIL) in March 2018. It argues that while Liberia has made progress, it requires a more coordinated approach to peacebuilding that leverages the comparative advantages of African regional and subregional organisations—such as the AU, ECOWAS, and the MRU—alongside traditional donors and the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).

This policy briefing examines the challenges of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, highlighting the gap between the perceived prevalence of 'petro-piracy' and the actual data on maritime crime. The author argues that underreporting and a lack of specific legal frameworks hinder evidence-based policymaking and effective prosecution. The document identifies the October 2016 African Union summit in Lomé, Togo, as a critical opportunity to establish a legally binding charter to define maritime crimes and standardize reporting requirements.

This policy brief examines the leadership of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) from 2014 to 2015, specifically the roles of Zimbabwe as the overall chair and South Africa as the chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (OPDSC). It analyzes how domestic political dynamics, foreign policy, and institutional constraints influence their ability to shape the regional organization's agenda.

This briefing document, submitted to the Eskom Board Sustainability Committee on 2 August 2013, outlines the company's inability to fully comply with South Africa's National Emission Standards without jeopardizing its sustainability. It proposes a strategy of partial compliance through targeted retrofits, legal applications for exemptions and postponements, and requests to continue operating non-compliant power stations while implementing remedies.

The FAST-Infra (Finance to Accelerate the Sustainable Transition-Infrastructure) initiative, led by the Climate Policy Initiative and nearly 80 partner institutions, aims to close the sustainable infrastructure investment gap by turning such infrastructure into a mainstream, liquid asset class. The initiative focuses on three transformational areas: a labeling system for assets, a technology platform for digital finance transformation, and innovative financial mechanisms for co-financing and guarantees.

This policy briefing analyzes the evolution of Brazilian foreign policy in the 21st century, specifically under President Luiz 'Lula' da Silva. It examines Brazil's efforts to balance its role as a regional leader in South America with its ambitions as a global player, emphasizing its commitment to multilateralism, the reform of international institutions, and the use of soft power to promote democratic governance.