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The document argues that the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) must move beyond the practices of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to ensure an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and alignment with the 2030 Agenda. It advocates for a shift from carbon offsetting toward results-based finance and the integration of human rights, transparency, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core principles.

Carbon Market Watch outlines recommendations for the three frameworks under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement: cooperative approaches, the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM), and non-market mechanisms. The organization emphasizes the need for robust accounting to prevent double counting, the integration of human rights safeguards, and the use of the SDM for results-based finance and transformational change.

Carbon Market Watch criticizes the Green Climate Fund's approval of three large hydro dam projects in Nepal, Tajikistan, and the Solomon Islands, arguing that such investments contradict the fund's goal of promoting a paradigm shift and risk repeating the human rights and environmental failures seen in the Barro Blanco project in Panama.

The document investigates the shift from institutional 'journals of record' to 'globital' memory, where digital tools allow individuals to archive and share personal narratives. It analyzes the role of mobile technology in documenting gendered experiences and human rights abuses, the use of new media by asylum seekers to challenge state narratives, and the capacity of video games and virtual museums to engage with historical atrocities and marginalized identities. Additionally, it discusses the impact of digital connectivity on local community memory in Australia and the influence of religious fundamentalist actors in international human rights spaces.

Friends of the Earth International argues that the TPP failed because it prioritized corporate interests over people and the environment. The organization calls for a fundamental reset of trade policy, warning that continuing with 'mega trade deals' like the TPP, TTIP, and RCEP fuels populism and undermines climate action and workers' rights.

CIEL opposes the EU's proposal for a Multilateral Investment Court (MIC), arguing that it merely improves the institutional aspects of dispute resolution without addressing the substantive treaty provisions that prioritize investor rights over the public interest. The document asserts that an MIC would entrench the flawed investor-state arbitration regime, potentially chilling government regulation on environment and health. CIEL recommends alternatives such as requiring the exhaustion of domestic remedies, limiting jurisdiction to uncompensated direct expropriation, and exploring the complete removal of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in favor of state-state consultations or strengthened domestic courts.

The Center for International Environmental Law expresses concerns regarding a proposed $200 million IDB loan to Guatemala for border integration with Mexico. The briefing argues that the Guatemala Ministry of Defense, the designated executing agency, lacks the legal mandate for fiscal and economic controls and has a history of corruption, lack of transparency, and links to organized crime. Furthermore, the document warns that the project's focus on migrant control may violate international laws regarding refugee rights and the principle of non-refoulement, and fails to address obligations to indigenous communities under ILO Convention 169.

Friends of the Earth International condemns the February 15, 2017, assassination of environmental lawyer Mia Manuelita Cumba Masacariñas-Green in Tagbilaran, Bohol. The organization highlights that her death contributes to a total of 112 environmental campaigners and human rights defenders murdered in the Philippines over the last 15 years. It urges the Philippine government to bring perpetrators to justice and calls for international pressure to end extrajudicial killings.

The document analyzes how conservative religious lobbyists, primarily from the US and the Vatican, collaborate with various states to challenge international human rights language and gender equality policies at the UN. It details their shift from outside activists to influential insiders, their use of 'traditional family values' and 'national sovereignty' as secular arguments to bridge ideological divides, and the formation of formalized blocks like the Group of Friends of the Family (GoFF). The brief also highlights specific challenges to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, including the impact of the US 'global gag rule' and the Holy See's essentialist view of gender roles.

The document examines how Zimbabwean civil society organisations (CSOs) responded to systemic corruption, human rights abuses, and opaque licensing in the Marange diamond fields. It details CSOs' efforts to lobby international bodies like the Kimberley Process to broaden the definition of 'conflict diamonds' and their role in pushing for domestic legislative reforms and revenue transparency.

The document analyzes Rwanda's unique position as a global leader in female parliamentary representation, attributing this to post-genocide demographic shifts and the 2003 constitutional quota system. While noting significant progress in education and gender-responsive legislation, the authors argue that the impact of female MPs is limited by an increasingly authoritarian executive branch and persistent cultural barriers. The paper highlights a disconnect between Rwanda's top ranking in gender promotion and its low rankings in general human rights and political participation within Africa.

An open letter from multiple organisations requesting a UN investigation into the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam in Panama, citing unnotified reservoir flooding, lack of compensation for displaced families, and the risk of forceful evictions following a Supreme Court ruling.

The document examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to integrate youth into democratic governance, highlighting the African Governance Architecture-Youth Engagement Strategy (AGA-YES) and the African Youth Charter. It argues that despite these frameworks, young people remain largely alienated and marginalised, facing significant barriers such as unemployment and restrictive legislation. The brief details findings from 2016 regional consultations, noting that youth often lack knowledge of the AU human rights system and face systemic hurdles like prohibitive age requirements for political office. It recommends that member states domesticate AU shared values, repeal discriminatory laws, and move beyond tokenistic engagement to harness the potential of Africa's youth demographic.

Friends of the Earth International condemns the long detention of Hiroji Yamashiro and other anti-US military base protesters in Okinawa, Japan. The organization argues that the Japanese government's forced construction of military facilities leads to environmental degradation and human rights violations.

Carbon Market Watch outlines specific requirements for the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, focusing on cooperative approaches, the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM), and non-market mechanisms. The organization argues that to avoid a "race to the bottom," robust multilateral rules are needed to prevent double counting and perverse incentives. Key recommendations include limiting eligible activities to those within the scope of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), requiring host countries to certify that actions do not violate human rights, and designing the SDM as a tool for results-based finance rather than "zero sum offsetting."

Carbon Market Watch argues for the phase-out of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) by the end of the second Kyoto commitment period, recommending that project registration cease as of COP 24 in 2018. The organization advocates for the establishment of a CDM grievance and safeguard mechanism to protect human rights and the environment, alongside strengthened civil society participation in stakeholder consultations. It further calls for a CMP/CMA process to guide the transition to the Paris Agreement's Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) and the implementation of measures to prevent double counting of credits used in ICAO's CORSIA scheme.

Carbon Market Watch argues for the phase-out of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) by the end of the second Kyoto commitment period, recommending that project registration cease by COP24 in 2018. The organization advocates for the establishment of a CDM grievance mechanism and institutional safeguards to protect human rights and the environment, noting that the CDM currently lacks the accountability mechanisms found in other international financial institutions. Additionally, it calls for strengthened civil society participation in stakeholder consultations and the implementation of measures to prevent double counting of credits used under ICAO's CORSIA scheme and nationally determined contributions.

The document highlights the vulnerability of the Asia Pacific region to climate change, specifically focusing on how extreme weather and slow-onset disasters drive migration. Through case studies in Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, it illustrates the loss of livelihoods, food insecurity, and social disruption facing marginalized communities. It concludes that current legal systems fail to recognize 'climate refugees' and urges governments to implement human-rights-based resettlement and adaptation strategies.

The report details an expert meeting on reforming investment-related dispute settlement, highlighting the lack of remedies for affected communities and proposing a 'dispute resolution plus' model that integrates accountability, mediation, and fact-finding into multilateral frameworks.

The policy brief examines the increasing presence of sub-Saharan African migrants in Algeria and Morocco, noting that while they have not been significantly implicated in terrorism, their precarious socio-economic conditions and exposure to racism create vulnerabilities. It advocates for the operationalisation of regularisation schemes and the adoption of non-coercive PVE strategies based on UN pillars to prevent future radicalisation.