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A statement signed by over 100 organizations criticizing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for failing to eliminate violence and environmental destruction over 14 years. The document argues that the RSPO serves as a 'greenwashing' tool for the industrial palm oil sector, masking human rights violations and deforestation while facilitating the industry's expansion.

This document is a formal comment by groundWork submitted to the South African Department of Energy regarding the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2018. The author argues that the IRP 2018 fails to address the urgency of the climate crisis, underestimates the health and environmental costs of coal, and maintains an outdated energy model that prioritizes coal and gas over a rapid transition to renewables.

This research paper, produced by Friends of the Earth Africa (FoEA), proposes the establishment of a sui generis international tribunal to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights violations. The document argues that existing national and international mechanisms are ineffective, allowing multinationals to operate with impunity through complex corporate structures and influence over governments. It provides a detailed proposed statute for an 'International Tribunal on Multinationals, Other Enterprises and Human Rights' (TIMEDH), emphasizing accessibility for victims, a shift in the burden of proof to companies, and a permanent seat in a southern state.

This report, produced by Friends of the Earth Africa with support from Friends of the Earth Europe and International, proposes the creation of a legally binding international tribunal to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights violations. The document argues that existing national and regional mechanisms are insufficient to protect victims, particularly in the Global South, and provides a detailed draft statute for a 'sui generis' court designed to ensure access to justice and reparations.

This briefing note provides background for an IISD webinar on the development and negotiation of model bilateral investment treaties (BITs). It examines why countries are revising their investment governance frameworks, the shift toward more transparent consultation processes, and the substantive changes in new-generation models aimed at protecting the right to regulate and promoting sustainable development.

This policy brief examines the opportunities and challenges of integrating women into the renewable energy (RE) value chain in Africa, with a specific focus on case studies from Rwanda and South Africa. It argues that while RE offers a unique chance to move away from the non-gender-aware patterns of traditional energy sectors, significant barriers remain in leadership, financing, and education.

The document argues that Africa's economic growth is hindered by high fertility rates, which create a high dependency ratio. It posits that reducing fertility through family planning and education is essential to achieving a 'demographic dividend'—a state where the working-age population significantly outweighs dependents—which previously drove rapid growth in East Asia and sustained growth in the US.

This policy insight examines the rise of sovereign debt in Africa, specifically focusing on Chinese lending and the 'debt trap' narrative. It analyzes the historical context of African debt, the failure of structural adjustment programmes, and the current trend of increasing debt-to-GDP ratios since 2012.

This policy brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute explores the role of bioenergy in expanding energy access and use while avoiding deforestation and the use of fossil fuels, particularly in less developed regions of Africa and Latin America.

The September 2018 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines challenges to democracy in Africa, the complexities of peace initiatives in the Central African Republic, political instability in Lesotho, the fragile peace deal in South Sudan, and the ongoing evolution of the African Standby Force.

The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Finance is a guide for regional governments on organizing and delivering financial solutions to enable low-carbon transitions. It outlines strategies for increasing capital availability, overcoming up-front costs, creating market incentives, and reducing procurement costs for clean energy assets.

This report analyzes the conditions necessary for African states to achieve a demographic dividend, noting that most are currently several decades away due to high youth dependency and slow fertility declines. It argues that while global growth is slowing due to aging populations, Africa's expanding working-age population offers a comparative advantage if coupled with investments in contraception, female education, and basic infrastructure. The report warns that without these interventions and significant job creation, Africa will continue to diverge from global averages in income and health.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the cooperation between BRICS nations and Africa, focusing on industrialisation and infrastructure financing. It evaluates the role of South Africa in promoting African interests within the BRICS framework, the potential of the New Development Bank (NDB), and the challenges of debt, transparency, and unequal trade.

This policy briefing argues for the expansion and improved management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in South Africa to enhance socio-ecological resilience. It highlights the gap between South Africa's current MPA coverage and global conservation targets, while discussing the benefits of MPAs for fisheries, climate adaptation, and biodiversity, alongside the challenges of sectoral conflict and customary rights.

This report documents a two-day workshop held in June 2018 by the Network of Southern Think Tanks (NeST) to identify African priorities and policy recommendations for the BAPA+40 conference. The discussions focused on redefining South-South Cooperation (SSC), aligning the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with Africa's Agenda 2063, improving monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks, and addressing infrastructure and economic structural transformation.

This research paper examines the establishment and potential implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), signed on 21 March 2018. It analyzes the projected economic gains, the challenges posed by varying levels of national development, and the political and technical hurdles that may impede the creation of a continent-wide free trade area.

This policy briefing argues that information and communications technology (ICT) can address systemic challenges in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), particularly in developing nations, by improving data collection and connecting fragmented actors across the value chain. It highlights the ABALOBI initiative in South Africa as a model for bottom-up, co-developed ICT tools that empower fishers and enhance governance.

This policy brief evaluates the African Union's (AU) 2017 theme, 'Harnessing the Demographic Dividend Through Investments in Youth.' While acknowledging the existence of frameworks like the African Youth Charter and initiatives such as the YouthConnekt Africa Summit, the authors argue that significant gaps remain in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of youth policies. The paper emphasizes that the AU lacks the power to enforce policies on member states, making the domestication of regional instruments into national law essential for meaningful youth empowerment and political inclusion.

This research paper examines the implications of the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) from an African and South African perspective, highlighting the deterioration of international cooperation and the increased risk of nuclear proliferation.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the barriers preventing adaptation and resilience companies—specifically those providing climate risk analytics—from scaling in developing countries. It proposes a design for a technical assistance (TA) facility, the CRAFT Resilience Accelerator, to be linked with a private equity fund to catalyze the market by addressing context, business model, and internal capacity barriers.