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This executive summary from RMI outlines how financial institutions can enhance corporate transition assessments—evaluations of how clients or investees respond to the energy transition—to better inform financial decision-making regarding climate-related risks and opportunities.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)—comprising digital identity, payments, and data-sharing systems—can be used to reduce the shadow economy and improve domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) in Africa.

This briefing provides recommendations to enhance synergies between climate and biodiversity international agendas, specifically targeting the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), UNFCCC COP29, and COP30. It identifies five key opportunities: improving monitoring indicators for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), aligning national biodiversity and climate plans, increasing collaboration between scientific bodies (IPBES and IPCC), establishing a joint work program among the Rio Conventions, and formalizing the role of CBD Action Agenda High-Level Champions.

An open letter released by RMI and 10 other NGOs during COP28 calling for the urgent mobilization of transition finance to decarbonize high-emitting and hard-to-abate sectors. The document defines the characteristics of credible transition finance and provides specific calls to action for the financial sector, governments, and corporate issuers to overcome barriers such as greenwashing fears and high capital costs.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs provides recommendations for African Union (AU) member states to develop a comprehensive e-commerce blueprint within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It emphasizes the need for a unified African position in international negotiations, a proactive strategy for digital taxation, and the harmonisation of fragmented regional regulations to avoid Africa becoming a 'rule taker' in the global digital economy.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies outlines recommendations for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to address state non-cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC). It proposes specific legal and political mechanisms to ensure the ICC can effectively investigate and prosecute serious international crimes.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies argues that Guinea-Bissau requires a new constitution to resolve chronic political instability and institutional deadlocks. It identifies critical ambiguities in the current semi-presidential regime—specifically regarding the powers of the President and Prime Minister—and proposes reforms based on models from Portugal and Cape Verde to strengthen the rule of law and democratic stability.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies argues for a new Constitution in Guinea-Bissau to resolve chronic political instability and institutional blockages. It identifies critical ambiguities in the current semi-presidential system—specifically regarding the powers of the President and Prime Minister—and recommends structural reforms, including the creation of a Constitutional Court and the constitutionalization of the National Electoral Commission.

This research paper examines the commercial tax evasion component of illicit financial flows (IFFs) in five African countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Zambia, and Egypt. It clarifies the distinctions between transfer pricing, abusive transfer pricing, trade mispricing, and trade-based money laundering (TBML), while estimating the scale of these flows using IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) and a developed TBML model. The authors highlight significant data anomalies in international trade databases and advocate for the implementation of the Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) to improve accuracy and curb illicit outflows.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) argues that South Africa is caught in a 'middle-income trap' characterized by sluggish growth, deep inequality, and declining government effectiveness. The authors advocate for a paradigm shift away from a state-led developmental model toward a more flexible, labour-intensive economy and a knowledge-based society driven by private sector partnerships and technological innovation.

This research paper examines the relationship between protected areas (PAs) and conflict, arguing that conservation interventions are inherently political and can either exacerbate or mitigate tensions. The authors propose the adoption of Peace and Conflict Impact Assessments (PCIAs)—tools used in the humanitarian and development sectors—to ensure that Transboundary Protected Areas (TBPAs) contribute to peacebuilding and adhere to 'do no harm' principles, particularly in conflict-prone regions.

This research paper by Robert Mattes, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs, argues that representative public opinion surveys are essential for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to achieve a comprehensive national self-assessment. The author contrasts the limitations of 'participatory' public consultations with the precision of random probability sampling and provides a technical framework for conducting credible surveys in Africa, including sampling stages, cost estimates, and the necessity of avoiding 'head of household' bias.

This research paper, written by Commander Seth Appiah-Mensah, evaluates the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in Darfur as of March 2006. It analyzes the mission's achievements in humanitarian stability and political mediation against significant challenges, including a restrictive mandate, chronic funding shortages, and a volatile security environment exacerbated by cross-border tensions with Chad. The author argues for a transition to a United Nations mission to ensure sustainable funding and a more robust mandate for the protection of civilians.

This research paper argues that the non-violation remedy—which allows a WTO Member to challenge another's measure that is otherwise WTO-consistent but nullifies or impairs a benefit—should not be applied to the TRIPS Agreement. The authors contend that the remedy is outdated in a rules-based system, creates systemic incoherence, undermines the regulatory sovereignty of developing countries, and lacks sufficient legal guidance for fair application.

This research paper examines the role of land tenure, migration, and competition for agricultural and pastoral land as structural and proximate causes of violent conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), specifically in the Kivu provinces and Ituri Territory. The authors argue that colonial-era dual property systems and post-colonial patrimonial rule under Mobutu transformed land from a communal social asset into a currency of political power and economic wealth, marginalizing rural populations and fueling ethnic tensions.

This report examines the roles of UN agencies and the implementation of the integrated mission concept within the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). It focuses on the coordination between military and civilian actors (CIMIC) to deliver humanitarian aid following Liberia's civil war, analyzing the tensions between military security mandates and the neutrality principles of humanitarian organizations.