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This report summarizes a conference held on June 9-10, 2011, at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg. The event focused on the evolving economic, political, and security relationships between India, South Africa, and the broader African continent, emphasizing South-South cooperation, trade synergies, and joint efforts toward reforming global governance institutions like the UN and IMF.

The South African Durban Youth and Children’s Protocol is a statement negotiated and agreed upon by South African youth and children during the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 17) in November 2011. The document outlines recommendations for the global community, African peers, the South African national government, and youth themselves to address climate change and environmental sustainability.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) provides an analysis for policymakers regarding the potential legalisation of rhino horn trade for the 17th CITES meeting in 2016. It evaluates arguments in favour of regulated trade against the practical conditions required for such a system to succeed, ultimately questioning whether legal trade would effectively prevent rhino extinction or inadvertently increase demand and poaching.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) introduces two new indices—the Climate Change and Economic Vulnerability Index (CEVI) and the Climate Change and Economic Resilience Index (CERI)—to provide a quantitative basis for the allocation of climate finance. The author argues that current climate finance, particularly OECD adaptation funding, is misaligned with the actual vulnerability and resilience of recipient countries, often favoring middle-income nations over the most vulnerable low-income economies, particularly in Africa.

This project statement by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) advocates for the integration of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) into the climate policies of African coastal and island nations to strengthen resilience against climate change impacts.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs outlines Africa's priorities and demands for COP28, emphasizing the need for a fundamental overhaul of the global financial architecture to ensure equitable climate finance, accelerated adaptation funding, and the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund.

This policy note, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs in October 2025, advocates for a shift from incremental to transformational climate adaptation in Africa. It outlines the conceptual differences between these approaches, identifies systemic barriers to implementation across the continent, and provides strategic recommendations for South Africa's G20 presidency to champion scalable, just, and context-specific adaptation frameworks.

This policy brief by the Brookings Institution, published via the South African Institute of International Affairs, argues for strengthening the G20 Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR) to address unsustainable debt in the Global South. The authors propose reforming the Common Framework for Debt Treatments (CF), integrating climate financing into debt management, and addressing the systemic drivers of high debt service costs, particularly for African nations.

This briefing outlines the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) theory of change for its G20-related activities, detailing the pathway from research and capacity-building to the inclusion of African policy inputs in global governance.

Speaking notes from Walid Badawi, Country Director of UNDP in Pretoria, detailing the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the G20 in advancing the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their application within the African context.

This research paper examines the inclusion of women in the renewable energy (RE) value chains of Rwanda and South Africa. It identifies systemic barriers—including limited access to STEM education, a lack of gender-responsive financing, and a disconnect between policy and implementation—that prevent women from moving beyond passive roles as energy consumers into technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial positions. The document provides a three-tier gender mainstreaming toolkit to help policymakers, donors, and the private sector foster a more inclusive energy sector in Africa.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) proposes a strategic framework to transition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) skills toward a green hydrogen economy in South Africa by 2050. Using foresight tools like the Three Horizons framework and scenario planning, the document identifies systemic failures in the current TVET system and outlines a vision for a 'just and inclusive' ecosystem that prioritizes economic wellbeing and ecological resilience over a narrow focus on job placement.

This report examines the impact of energy efficiency on electricity demand for cooling appliances in households at risk. It highlights that while expanding cooling access could significantly increase energy needs, the adoption of best-available technologies and passive building strategies can offset this demand and support sustainable energy transitions.

This report by Sustainable Energy for All examines the critical role of cold chain logistics and reliable electricity access in the global rollout of vaccines, specifically highlighting how infrastructure gaps in low-income regions and Sub-Saharan Africa hinder the achievement of herd immunity.

The Global Tracking Framework, coordinated by the World Bank/ESMAP and the IEA, establishes a system of indicators to monitor progress toward three 2030 goals: universal access to modern energy services, doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement, and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

This executive summary, published by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), updates the 2018 'Chilling Prospects' study by analyzing cooling access across 52 climate-exposed countries. It advocates for a needs-based approach to sustainable cooling to protect vulnerable populations, ensure food and medicine security, and align with the Kigali Amendment and the Paris Agreement.

This fact sheet by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) outlines various donor-funded financing programs available for renewable energy manufacturing and clean energy innovation, primarily targeting Africa and other developing regions.

The People-Centered Accelerator is a voluntary partnership led by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) designed to advance gender equality, social inclusion, and women's empowerment within the sustainable energy sector to support the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.

This report provides a technical and practical guide to electric cooking (eCooking) appliances for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It categorizes appliances into cooktops, self-contained units, and task-specific devices, evaluating them based on energy efficiency, power ratings, and cultural suitability. The document aims to assist programme planners and policymakers in selecting appropriate technologies to transition households from biomass fuels to clean energy, aligning with SDG 7 goals.

The Mini-Grid Emissions Tool, developed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), provides a standardized methodology for calculating the carbon emissions displaced by renewable energy mini-grids. It improves upon previous methods by accounting for diverse previous energy sources, actual energy consumption by customers, and various generating sources, including hybrid systems.