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The report finds that 2025 was the third most violent year since 1989, with 245,000 battle-related deaths. It highlights a record high of 65 state-based conflicts and a concerning doubling of international conflicts to eight in 2025. While non-state conflicts decreased slightly, one-sided violence surged to 76,500 fatalities, primarily driven by massacres in Sudan.

The report examines the discovery of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean, focusing on the competing claims of the Republic of Cyprus, Turkey, and Turkish Cypriots. It analyzes the commercial viability of export options—such as LNG plants and pipelines to Turkey or Europe—against a backdrop of falling global gas prices due to the US shale revolution. The text argues that while hydrocarbons offer a potential 'win-win' for regional stability, their development is currently hostage to long-standing political conflicts, particularly the Cyprus problem and strained Israeli-Turkish relations. It also explores the specific challenges facing Lebanon in becoming a gas province and the role of global energy governance and major players like Russia and the EU in shaping the region's energy future.

The authors present the During-Conflict Justice (DCJ) dataset, which catalogues 2,205 justice processes across 204 internal armed conflicts in 108 countries between 1946 and 2011. The research identifies that DCJ is a common tool, appearing in over 60% of conflicts since WWII, with governments being the primary adopters (70.4%). The study finds that democratic governments are more likely to use DCJ, particularly trials, truth commissions, and reparations, compared to autocracies. Rebel groups tend to use DCJ more frequently when fighting democracies and as their own relative military strength increases. Analysis suggests that government-initiated DCJ is correlated with a reduction in battle deaths in the following year and a higher likelihood of the conflict ending in a negotiated settlement rather than a military victory.

The Middle East has hosted the world's deadliest conflicts over the last decade, with Syria being the deadliest since 1989. While state-based conflicts and battle-related deaths declined in 2019, internationalized civil wars reached record levels since 2015. Non-state conflicts peaked in 2014 and have since declined, though they remain higher than pre-2011 levels. One-sided violence fatalities doubled from 2018 to 2019, driven by IS, Syrian insurgents, and Iran. Despite an increase in ceasefires, peace agreements are rare in the region compared to Africa and Asia, with only one full peace agreement recorded between 1989 and 2018.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of global conflict trends from 1989 to 2019, noting a record high of 54 state-based conflicts in 2019. It highlights the significant role of the Islamic State (IS) in driving recent conflict increases and the prevalence of internationalized civil conflicts. While battle-related deaths have generally decreased over the last 20 years, specific hotspots in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia remain deadly. The paper also analyzes the decline in peace agreements since 2015 and the persistence of non-state conflicts, particularly violent drug cartel activity in Latin America and communal violence in Africa.

The document analyzes conflict dynamics in Asia from 1989 to 2019 using UCDP data. It finds that while state-based conflicts are generally declining and often low-intensity, Afghanistan remains a critical exception and the most violent setting in the region and the world. Asia recorded the highest absolute number of ceasefires globally between 1989 and 2018, but peace agreements have declined since 2006. Non-state conflicts in Asia are declining, contrary to global trends, while one-sided violence is generally decreasing but saw a recent increase in 2019 driven by Afghanistan.

The study finds that rural-urban migration itself does not cause urban violence. Instead, lethal urban political violence is associated with the socioeconomic marginalization of rural-urban migrants—specifically relative deprivation in terms of household assets and access to public services—as well as unequal access to education within the city population.

The authors present Urban Social Disorder 3.0, a global event dataset covering 186 cities from 1960-2014, containing 13,324 events. The study finds that global urban social disorder increased after the early 2000s, driven largely by Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Contrary to some previous research, the authors find a positive relationship between city population size and the frequency of lethal disorder events, while urban growth rates show no such association. The analysis also suggests that autocratic regimes may be more effective at suppressing lethal urban disorder than democratic ones.

The Papua LNG project, led by TotalEnergies, faces delays and rising costs, with estimates increasing from US$10 billion to US$18 billion. While some banks have declined direct financing due to climate policies, others continue to fund the project's developers. The project is projected to emit over 220 million tonnes of CO2, increasing Papua New Guinea's industrial and energy sector emissions by 7%, and poses significant risks to biodiversity and local communities in the Gulf Province. Critics argue that investing in renewable energy would be more cost-effective and beneficial for the country's electricity needs.

This research paper by Jodie Keane explores the nature of intra-Commonwealth value chains using a mixed-methods approach. It analyzes trade intensity, shifts in intermediate goods sourcing, and firm-level data to determine how Commonwealth members integrate into regional versus global value chains (GVCs). The findings suggest a prevalence of additive value chains and a specific tendency for Small Island Developing States to export within the Commonwealth.

The Global Tracking Framework establishes a baseline and monitoring system for the SE4ALL 2030 goals. While the world saw significant gains between 1990 and 2010, population and economic growth have diluted these impacts, making 'business as usual' insufficient. Achieving the goals will require an additional $600–800 billion in annual investment, bold policy shifts such as phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and critical progress in 'high-impact' countries, particularly China and India.

The document highlights that over 3.2 billion people in 52 high-impact countries face cooling access challenges, with 1.05 billion at high risk. It advocates for a shift from equipment-based projections to a needs-based approach covering thermal comfort, food security, and healthcare. The report recommends national action plans, public-private partnerships, and targeted financing for the most vulnerable populations to ensure equitable access to sustainable cooling.

The People-Centered Accelerator is a voluntary partnership led by SEforALL to ensure a just energy transition by focusing on the most vulnerable populations and women. Its primary objectives include scaling sustainable energy access for those missed by 'business-as-usual' approaches, unlocking public and private finance for gender-responsive energy businesses, and empowering women in the energy workforce to hold decision-making power. The initiative specifically targets gaps in energy access within urban slums and rural areas of Africa and Asia.

The report examines the role of electric cooking (eCooking) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), proposing a typology of appliances and assessing their suitability based on technical, financial, and cultural factors. It categorizes appliances into 'cooktops' (e.g., induction, infrared, hotplates), 'self-contained' units (e.g., electric pressure cookers, rice cookers, air fryers), and 'task-specific' devices (e.g., kettles). The analysis emphasizes that while cooktops offer versatility, self-contained appliances like electric pressure cookers (EPCs) often provide higher energy efficiency per meal. The report highlights that successful adoption depends on aligning appliance choice with local infrastructure (grid stability, AC/DC compatibility), cultural cooking traditions, and the availability of after-sales support and financing models like Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO).

The document proposes integrated planning, demand-side management, and electric mobility as key solutions for sustainable urban transport. It identifies four city profiles—Efficiency Opportunists, Electric Vehicle Leapfroggers, Digital Disruptors, and Renewable Drivers—to guide interventions in fast-growing cities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, noting that urban transport emissions are expected to double by 2050.

The document outlines a regional capacity gap assessment across Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, and Thailand, identifying critical needs in international finance mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation, and GESI principles to guide future capacity development.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is seeking proposals for events that center the voices of women environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs). The initiative focuses on the intersectional discrimination these women face and aims to foster cross-national networks and scalable practices in environmental protection and human rights advocacy. Priority is given to events that address the specific challenges of women EHRDs in Asia and cover themes such as climate change, disaster risk, and land grabbing.

This policy brief, produced to inform the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, outlines a long-term vision for transforming global energy systems to achieve sustainability. It argues that a fundamental shift is necessary to address simultaneous challenges of energy access, climate change, air pollution, and energy security, emphasizing that such a transition is technologically and economically achievable but requires integrated policy frameworks and scaled-up investments.

The document identifies open-pit mining, climate change, deforestation, and agricultural expansion as the primary drivers of habitat loss and resource depletion in the Chindwin River Basin. It highlights five highly affected biodiversity areas, with Pauk Inn wetlands identified as the most vulnerable. Key institutional challenges include limited financial resources, data gaps, and a lack of public participation. The report recommends that the Chindwin River Basin Committee lead integrated water resources management and that the Sagaing regional government centralize conservation activities to improve coordination.

The document argues that the steel sector can be almost fully decarbonised by 2050 through a combination of hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (HDRI), carbon capture and storage (CCS), increased steel recycling, and material efficiency. It warns that to avoid stranded assets and catastrophic climate impacts, new blast furnaces without CCS must not be added and existing ones must not be relined after 2025. Policy interventions are required to provide clean electricity and green hydrogen, create lead markets, and implement carbon pricing, with a suggested price of around US$70 to avoid 1.3 Gt CO2 of emissions by 2030. International cooperation, such as the Glasgow Breakthrough on Steel, is highlighted as essential because demand growth is primarily driven by developing economies in Asia.