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This briefing describes the Restoration Diagnostic, a structured method developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) to identify key success factors (KSFs) necessary for the effective implementation of forest landscape restoration (FLR) projects.

In a 2016 address, SAIIA National Chairman Fred T Phaswana discusses the intersection of South Africa's domestic political and economic crises with global instability. He highlights the erosion of South Africa's international leadership due to internal corruption and poor growth, while contrasting these failures with the success of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REI4P) and global multilateral agreements on climate and development.

This policy brief details the Obama Administration's fiscal year (FY) 2017 federal budget proposal, focusing on investments in clean energy, sustainable transportation, energy-efficient buildings, and climate action. The proposal emphasizes doubling clean energy research and development by 2021 and introduces a crude oil tax to fund transportation sustainability.

Nigel Sizer, outgoing director of the World Resources Institute's (WRI) Forests program, reflects on the development of monitoring and restoration initiatives and the increasing role of the private sector in forest conservation prior to his transition to president of the Rainforest Alliance.

A statement by the Global Resilience Partnership detailing the severe impacts of the 2015-2016 El Niño, including food insecurity for over 17 million people and specific crises in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and India, while calling for adaptive resilience measures.

This case study describes a partnership between the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the telecommunications company MTN to develop a security and intelligence system for operations in volatile markets.

This guidance paper, published by FSD Africa in January 2016, details 'Stage 3' of the Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) system. It focuses on 'Step 7: Developing a credible narrative,' providing a framework for Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programmes to synthesize evidence, test their Theory of Change (ToC), and articulate their contribution to systemic financial sector changes and poverty reduction.

This guidance paper, the seventh chapter of a larger series by FSD Africa, outlines how Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programmes can embed an Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) system into their operations. It argues that traditional monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in isolation cannot capture the complex interactions between evolving programmes and dynamic market contexts, necessitating a system that integrates results measurement into every stage of the programme cycle, from strategy development to independent evaluation.

This guidance paper, published by FSD Africa in January 2016, details the first stage of implementing an Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) system for Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programmes. It focuses on establishing a clear purpose through the development of evaluable Theories of Change (ToC) and the formulation of strategic impact measurement questions to track systemic change and poverty reduction.

This guidance paper, published by FSD Africa in January 2016, outlines a framework for Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programmes to develop an Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) system. It specifically focuses on Stage 2a of the IOM process: measuring what change has happened. The document provides a methodology for moving beyond traditional project-level monitoring toward capturing systemic market changes, combining bottom-up project data with top-down sector tracking to bridge the evidence gap between direct outputs and long-term financial inclusion outcomes.

This guidance paper, published by FSD Africa in January 2016, provides a framework for Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programmes to assess why changes occur in the financial sector and the extent to which their interventions contributed to those changes. It focuses on Stage 2b of the Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) system, detailing methods for assessing causality and establishing a research agenda to bridge knowledge gaps in financial sector development and poverty reduction.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines landholding systems in Africa, drawing on African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) reports. It argues that while weak property rights hinder economic development, universal formal titling is often impractical due to institutional capacity constraints. The author proposes a gradual approach that leverages informal rights regimes and improves state administrative capacity to enhance tenure security.

This reference manual, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in 2016, provides a detailed framework for countries to plan the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. It is structured into five core modules: governance, mitigation, adaptation, finance, and measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV). The guide offers a step-by-step approach to identifying institutional gaps, designing policies, mobilizing funding, and establishing tracking systems, supplemented by international case studies to illustrate best practices in climate action planning.

This legislative guide, published by the Institute for Security Studies in 2016, provides African states with practical guidance on drafting and amending national laws to comply with international and regional arms control instruments. It focuses on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (UNPoA), the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), the SADC Protocol, and the Nairobi Protocol. The guide details requirements for the manufacture, marking, record-keeping, and international transfer (export, import, transit, transhipment, and brokering) of conventional arms, specifically small arms and light weapons, and outlines necessary penal provisions for illicit activities.

This directory, compiled by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) with financial support from Denmark, provides an inventory of assistance and capacity-building programmes available to African states in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) areas. It details the offers of nearly 50 states, various international and regional organisations, and civil society entities, primarily within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and other international non-proliferation treaties.

This executive summary introduces a World Resources Report framework for creating more equal, productive, and sustainable cities, focusing specifically on 'struggling' and 'emerging' cities in the Global South. It identifies critical challenges in urban population growth and service delivery, proposing that equitable access to core services—housing, water, energy, and transportation—can serve as a catalyst for broader urban transformation.

Friends of the Earth Africa argues that the Paris draft agreement is insufficient to prevent catastrophic warming in Africa, fails to address climate debt or loss and damage, and promotes market-based mechanisms like REDD that facilitate land and water grabs.

This international statement, issued by Friends of the Earth International and various social movements, criticizes the emergence of corporate-focused guides that reinterpret the 2012 Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT). The authors argue that these guides shift the focus from human rights to business risk management, inappropriately transfer state responsibilities to private investors, and promote a false equivalence between corporations and marginalized communities.

This international statement, published by Friends of the Earth International and signed by various social movements and civil society organizations, criticizes the emergence of operational guides that adapt the UN's Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) for the benefit of private investors and corporations. The authors argue that these guides shift the focus from human rights to commercial risk management, inappropriately transfer state governance responsibilities to private actors, and promote a false parity between corporations and marginalized communities.

This international statement, published by Friends of the Earth International and signed by numerous social movements and NGOs, criticizes the emergence of corporate-focused guides for implementing the UN's Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT). The authors argue that these guides shift the focus from human rights and the needs of marginalized communities to the business interests and risk management of private investors, effectively facilitating 'corporate capture' of natural resources.