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The report details a consultation between the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), and various civil society organisations (CSOs) to determine the focus of Botswana's APRM submission. Based on a non-scientific survey of 24 CSOs, the meeting identified approximately 20 major governance concerns, including the lack of separation of powers, rampant corruption, and high inequality. The group discussed the need to narrow these down to 12 key issues, debating whether the final submission should adopt a problem-solving tone or remain critical of the government. Participants from Zambia and Namibia provided comparative perspectives on evidence-based submissions and common regional issues like gender-based violence and land reform.

The statement asserts that current economic systems, which treat the environment as a free good and ignore thermodynamic limits, have driven climate change and the sixth mass extinction. It calls for a radical shift toward economic models that prioritize sustainable ecological foundations and biodiversity preservation to maintain a safe and just space within planetary boundaries.

Natural Justice expresses solidarity with protesters in the United States and South Africa, arguing that environmental justice is inseparable from racial, economic, and social justice. The organisation condemns police brutality and the oppression of indigenous people and activists globally, asserting that the planetary crisis and climate change disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable.

The policy brief argues that African governments should leverage the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis to implement lasting reforms that protect the continent's long-term growth trajectory. It outlines ten priorities divided into resource mobilization, governance, business environment, and digital innovation. Key recommendations include closing tax loopholes, streamlining government bureaucracy, improving the ease of doing business, and crowding in venture capital to support a tech-driven innovation ecosystem.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Proposal Toolkit 2020 serves as a technical manual for entities seeking climate finance for developing countries. It outlines the essential roles of National Designated Authorities (NDAs), Accredited Entities (AEs), and Executing Entities (EEs), and provides a ten-step methodology for proposal development. Key design requirements include a strong climate rationale, a Theory of Change, and a logical framework aligned with GCF's investment criteria. The guide emphasizes the integration of environmental and social safeguards, gender action plans, and indigenous peoples' policies. It also details the financial instruments available—grants, concessional loans, equity, and guarantees—and explains the approval pathways, including the Simplified Approval Process (SAP) for smaller, low-risk projects.

The document argues that Africa is experiencing a growing economic divergence from the rest of the world, with GDP per capita projected to be less than one quarter of the global average by 2040. While human well-being indicators like life expectancy have improved, the continent's growth is constrained by an unproductive economic structure dominated by low-end informal services and a slow demographic transition. To ignite a 'growth revolution', the author advocates for a 'bottom-up' approach focusing on basic infrastructure, reducing fertility rates, and transitioning toward manufacturing and productive agriculture. The brief emphasizes that leveraging the fourth industrial revolution, renewable energy, and the African Continental Free Trade Area, alongside accountable leadership, is essential to reversing commodity dependence and achieving sustainable prosperity.

The report identifies cultural, structural, and workplace barriers that marginalise women in the male-dominated maritime sector in Africa. It highlights a critical lack of gender-disaggregated data and the phenomenon of 'sea blindness' as obstacles to visibility and recruitment. Using South Africa as a primary case study, the report suggests that the United Nations' Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda can provide a framework for improving women's inclusion. Key recommendations include launching public awareness campaigns, implementing gender-sensitive budgeting, and creating mentorship programmes to bridge the gender gap.

The report finds that 1.61 billion children lived in conflict-affected countries in 2019, with 426 million residing in specific conflict zones (within 50 km of fighting). Africa has the highest absolute number of affected children, while the Middle East has the highest proportional share. The number of children in conflict zones has generally increased since the 1990s, with millions exposed to continuous conflict throughout their childhood.

The document examines the African Peer Review Mechanism's (APRM) drive for universal membership, arguing that while a worthy goal, the organization must first address its backlog of 'slow states' and improve the implementation of National Programmes of Action (NPoAs). It highlights that 40 of 55 African states have joined, but many have failed to undergo first reviews or progress to second reviews. The authors warn that 'targeted reviews' may allow governments to avoid sensitive issues and suggest that the APRM adopt stricter measures, similar to the OGP or EITI, to handle inactive members.

The document examines how African governments and mining companies track local procurement, noting that aggregate spending figures often mask a lack of genuine local value addition. It highlights the gap between current reporting practices and the data needed to steer effective policy, while identifying emerging industry standards and country-specific examples that could serve as models for improvement.

The document examines the gap between Africa's youth-related policy frameworks, such as the African Youth Charter, and the reality of youth participation in governance. It argues that youth are often treated as mere beneficiaries of services or tokenistic additions to processes rather than empowered stakeholders in decision-making. The author analyzes the role of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in promoting good governance and finds that while recent efforts like the N’Djamena symposium show progress, structural barriers and policy incoherence persist. The paper recommends establishing youth quotas in National Governing Councils and integrating youth into the technical tools and review missions of the APRM to ensure meaningful engagement.

The document examines Africa's ICT infrastructure, noting that while mobile penetration has grown, the continent still lags globally in internet usage, download speeds, and affordability. It highlights the dominant role of private sector investment and the influence of Chinese technology firms, while recommending targeted policies to expand rural access and improve regulatory capacity.

The report examines the intersection of Africa's digital economy and the AfCFTA, highlighting how ecommerce can overcome the continent's low formal retail penetration and lack of manufacturing diversity. While identifying significant barriers—including high data costs, poor logistics, and regulatory fragmentation—it argues that a unified trading bloc will provide the economies of scale necessary for SMEs to grow. The author recommends harmonising data privacy, consumer protection, and payment systems to foster trust and enable a sustainable, inclusive digital market.

The document outlines lessons from a dialogue between grassroots organizations and donors on advancing locally led climate adaptation in Africa. It emphasizes the need to shift from top-down to circular decision-making, build mutual trust through transparency, and move away from short-term, projectized funding models. The briefing argues for the integration of development-sector knowledge into climate finance and the reduction of accreditation barriers for local actors. It further advocates for a shift in the 'hierarchy of knowledge' to better value indigenous and local expertise, and calls for more flexible funding that supports long-term agency and administrative costs rather than just direct climate benefits.

The report advocates for a transformative shift in Africa's development policies to address biodiversity loss and climate change. It proposes using COVID-19 economic recovery packages as a 'green stimulus' to invest in ecological infrastructure and full-cost accounting of natural capital, aligning with the AU's Agenda 2063 and the post-2020 global biodiversity agenda.

The document analyzes the digital divide in Africa, exacerbated by COVID-19 lockdowns, focusing on socio-economic barriers, weak infrastructure, information access, and government-mandated internet shutdowns. It argues that while global and continental frameworks like the AU's Digital Transformation Strategy exist, a multi-stakeholder approach is required to improve affordability, infrastructure, and digital literacy while ending political internet blackouts.

The document argues that COVID-19 lockdowns have provided a cover for governments and private entities to suppress environmental and land defenders through harassment, arrests, and the enactment of restrictive laws. It highlights specific instances of repression in the DRC, Uganda, and South Africa, noting that the suspension of normal administrative and judicial functions has limited access to justice and transparency. To counter these threats, the guide recommends that defenders shift toward online engagement, creative protest methods, and encrypted communication, while leveraging regional movements and emergency funds like the African Environmental Defenders’ Fund.

The document details how climate change threatens the bio-cultural resources and traditional knowledge of African indigenous peoples, specifically within Indigenous peoples' and local communities' conserved territories and areas (ICCAs) and pastoralist communities. It highlights the use of traditional knowledge and 'Community Protocols' as essential tools for climate adaptation and the protection of customary laws. Finally, it outlines the severe risks faced by cultural rights defenders in Africa, including land grabbing, physical violence, and criminalization, while recommending the establishment of defender funds and coordinated monitoring to protect these activists.

The document examines how COVID-19 disrupted African extractive industries through reduced global demand, supply chain failures, and operational shutdowns. It highlights the vulnerability of oil-dependent economies like Nigeria and the specific challenges facing South Africa's mining sector. Conversely, it identifies a 'silver lining' in the increased demand for gold due to its role in rapid antibody tests. The report argues that the crisis provides a governance opportunity for African nations to diversify their economies, reduce reliance on Chinese demand, and implement structural reforms to protect property rights and broaden tax bases.

The report examines the global banana market, noting that while bananas are the most valuable traded fruit, the sector faces significant challenges including climate change, the Tropical Race 4 fungal disease, and poor farmer livelihoods. It highlights the growth of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), which accounted for 7% of production in 2016, and identifies opportunities to expand these standards in countries like India, China, and specific LHDCs such as Tanzania and Rwanda to improve environmental and social outcomes.