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The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is calling for public engagement in the consultation of a draft Instrument on International Investment Contracts developed by UNIDROIT and the ICC. The consultation period runs from June 24 to September 15, 2026. IISD emphasizes that the final text must move beyond aspirational language to make sustainability a core operational objective and ensure that investor protections do not undermine the right of states to regulate.

The document explains the operational framework of the Article 6.4 Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), detailing the project lifecycle from prior consideration to credit issuance. It identifies key reporting documents, such as Project Design Documents (PDD) and the Sustainable Development Tool, and directs users to data sources like the UNEP Article 6 Pipeline and UNFCCC platforms. The guide also outlines accountability pathways, including a global grievance mechanism and an appeals process for stakeholders to report harms or challenge registration decisions.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) calls for broad stakeholder engagement in the public consultation of the draft UNIDROIT–ICC Instrument on International Investment Contracts, running from June 24 to September 15, 2026. IISD argues that the final instrument must prioritize sustainable development over traditional investor protections, transforming aspirational sustainability commitments into binding obligations and avoiding open-ended protection standards typical of old-generation investment treaties.

The report examines the limitations of traditional input-heavy agricultural subsidies in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia. It argues that while these programs can stabilize production in the short term, they often hinder the transition to climate-resilient systems and negatively impact soil health. The document emphasizes that successful reform requires a holistic approach combining organic inputs, improved land governance, and complementary investments in infrastructure and market development.

The report concludes that while Rwanda has made significant development strides, it may not reach its Vision 2050 targets under current trends due to structural economic issues. However, a 'Combined' scenario involving integrated policies across governance, energy, and education could see GDP reach US$267.1 billion and extreme poverty drop to 0.04% by 2050. Key recommendations include transitioning to renewable energy, formalising the informal sector, and adopting climate-smart agriculture.

The report concludes that Egypt is unlikely to meet its Vision 2030 growth targets on its current path, with projected average growth of 4.7% by 2043 compared to a 12% target. It identifies structural challenges including fiscal instability, high inflation, and a lack of job creation. To address these, the author recommends targeted interventions in health, education, agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure, specifically highlighting the completion of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant to add 4.8GW of capacity and the use of diaspora bonds to attract capital.

The report concludes that while Mauritania's macroeconomic indicators are trending upwards, growth remains heavily dependent on the extractive sector and is hindered by poor infrastructure, weak governance, and climate change risks. It recommends a holistic development strategy focusing on climate resilience, public finance efficiency, human capital investment, and economic diversification to leverage the country's resource endowments and youthful population.

The report identifies Kenya as a pivotal East African economic powerhouse with the potential for a 685% GDP increase by 2043 under a Combined scenario. It argues that implementing eight sectoral interventions could raise GDP per capita to US$10,950 and reduce extreme poverty from 64.6% in 2019 to 6.4% by 2043. To ensure sustainable and equitable growth, the document recommends strengthening anti-corruption efforts, expanding education and healthcare, investing in modern irrigation, and accelerating the transition to renewable energy through geothermal, solar, and wind projects.

Gabon is an upper-middle-income country in Central Africa characterized by significant natural resource wealth, particularly in oil and timber. Following a September 2023 coup that ended the Bongo family's long reign, the country is under a transition government led by Brice Oligui Nguema, aiming for elections on 12 April 2025. Despite its high GDP per capita driven by petroleum, Gabon faces persistent development challenges, including high youth unemployment, entrenched inequality, and a lack of economic diversification.

The document concludes that while ECOWAS has made progress, its current path is insufficient to address structural challenges such as insecurity, corruption, and economic dependence on commodities. It argues that without aggressive interventions in governance, security, and economic diversification, the region will fail to meet its 2050 sustainability targets. Key recommendations include operationalising the ECOWAS Standby Force Unit, transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar and wind, and implementing the West African Power Pool white paper to create a regional electricity market.

The report details specific multipliers and targets for Burundi across several development scenarios. Key interventions include improving government effectiveness, reducing child and maternal mortality, increasing vocational training, boosting agricultural yields, and expanding renewable energy and ICT infrastructure. The document compares these projected outcomes against averages for low-income African countries and historical benchmarks from other African nations.

The document argues for a global debt restructuring mechanism to replace the voluntary and often delayed processes of current frameworks. It suggests that such a mechanism should be housed closer to debtor nations, be linked to the African Union (AU) and African financial institutions, and be grounded in principles of fiscal legitimacy and human rights. To overcome political resistance, the brief recommends that African states form a 'Debtors Club' and transition to the African Credit Rating Agency to reduce reliance on unregulated US-based agencies.

The Kasepuhan Ciptagelar indigenous community in West Java has overcome geographic isolation and market neglect by building its own community-led internet infrastructure. Starting with a partnership in 2018 between Common Room and Awinet, the network has expanded to cover 44 hamlets across 13 villages by 2025, serving up to 2,000 daily users. The 'Ciptagelar Model' utilizes a hybrid backhaul of radio links and fiber optics, funded by a prepaid voucher system that reinvests revenue into the community. This digital sovereignty has enabled the community to fund reforestation—planting 45,000 trees over five years—and document traditional rituals. While successful, the initiative faces challenges including regulatory 'grey zones' in Indonesian law and physical infrastructure damage from extreme weather, such as the collapse of a bamboo tower in late 2024.

The document proposes a shift toward 'imperfect agreements' to overcome deadlock in the WTO, suggesting that flexible, iterative, and often plurilateral arrangements can serve as stepping stones to formal law. It highlights various mechanisms, such as targeted trade deals, the use of GATS schedules for additional commitments, and interim agreements like the E-Commerce Agreement, as ways to maintain institutional relevance and implement sustainable development goals. The author contends that these dynamic approaches allow members to coordinate on urgent issues, such as digital trade and essential supplies, without waiting for full multilateral consensus.

The document advocates for ending the artificial separation of climate mitigation and adaptation, arguing that treating them as parallel streams wastes resources and undermines sustainable development. It emphasizes that climate change is a systemic condition of development rather than a standalone sector. Using examples from Asia's energy, food, and water systems, the text demonstrates how integrated planning—such as combining low-carbon buildings with heat resilience—creates essential synergies. The author calls for structural shifts in governance, including the institutionalization of climate risk assessments for all infrastructure and a move by international donors from funding discrete projects to supporting holistic development programs.

The report argues that Zambia can leverage its position as a top copper producer to drive economic transformation through value addition in processing and manufacturing. It identifies reliable electricity, expanded smelting and refining, and improved trade corridors as critical priorities to mitigate the risks of mining dependency and capitalize on projected global supply shortfalls through the mid-2030s.

The paper reviews frameworks used to track the alignment of finance flows with low greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilient development as mandated by Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement. It classifies these frameworks based on parameters such as application level, reference pathways, and finance flow polarities to identify blind spots—specifically in adaptation finance, corporate investment, and internal financing—and aims to inform the creation of a country-level framework, starting with an application in Germany.

The document examines the prevalence and design of dispute prevention, management, and settlement (DPMS) provisions in national investment laws. Based on an analysis of 167 laws, it finds that while DPMS provisions are common—particularly in Africa and Asia—the inclusion of 'prior consent' to arbitration exposes states to significant risks. The report argues that states should prioritize judicial capacity building over parallel arbitration channels and strongly recommends against granting unilateral, indefinite prior consent to arbitration in national legislation.

The document examines the prevalence and nature of dispute settlement mechanisms in national investment laws, highlighting the risks of 'prior consent' to arbitration and recommending the strengthening of national judiciaries over the creation of parallel arbitration paths.

The AfCFTA is a comprehensive free trade agreement aimed at creating a single market for goods and services across Africa, targeting the removal of tariffs on 90% of goods and the reduction of non-tariff barriers to drive industrial development and economic growth.