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The research paper examines the gap between the recommendations made by the APRM Panel of Eminent Persons and the actual Programmes of Action (PoAs) adopted by the first six reviewed African countries. It finds that most recommendations were ignored or inadequately addressed, often due to procedural failures, a lack of distinction between objectives and action items, and a tendency for governments to prioritize sovereignty over reform. The author provides a set of practical guidelines to improve future PoAs, emphasizing the need for measurable indicators, transparent costing, and better integration with existing national development plans.

The research paper examines the gap between the recommendations made by the APRM Panel of Eminent Persons and the actual Action Plans (PA) adopted by pioneer countries. It finds that many critical governance issues were ignored or inadequately addressed, and that countries often confused high-level goals with concrete actions. The author argues for a more structured approach to PA development, including measurable indicators, better integration with national budgets, and a clearer distinction between existing and new initiatives.

The report provides a comprehensive review of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) practices globally, noting that while OECD member states lead in national program implementation, local governments in both developed and developing regions are highly active. It identifies critical barriers to SPP, such as the traditional 'best value for money' mindset and high upfront capital costs, and argues for a shift toward full-life costing. The document analyzes the compatibility of SPP with international trade agreements like the WTO's Agreement on Government Procurement and details specific national efforts in countries such as Brazil, China, India, and South Africa, emphasizing the need for dedicated legal frameworks and multistakeholder collaboration to scale sustainable purchasing.

The document lists the signature, ratification, and deposit dates for 53 African entities regarding the AU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism. As of 23 June 2006, 48 countries had signed the convention, while 36 had completed ratification or accession and deposited their instruments.

The report argues that the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP), a 681 km project involving Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana, fails to deliver its promised benefits. It contends that the project does not promote genuine regional integration, may increase energy costs for Ghana, and is unlikely to significantly reduce gas flaring in Nigeria. The document highlights concerns over the project's legal structure in Bermuda, the lack of environmental impact studies for the Escravos pipeline, and the continued reliance on fossil fuels.

The document analyzes the complex relationship between African diasporas and their homelands, contrasting historical forced migrations (the slave trade) with modern voluntary and forced migration. It investigates how migrants influence homeland politics through opposition movements, lobbying, and voting, while highlighting the critical economic role of remittances, particularly for island micro-states and enclaves like Cape Verde, Comores, and Lesotho. The author notes that while diasporas can provide essential financial support, they are often viewed with suspicion by authoritarian regimes and internal political actors.

The report analyzes the environmental vulnerability of West Africa, focusing on the interplay between poverty, environmental degradation, and natural hazards. It identifies key sensitivities in health, water availability, and food security, while detailing the diverse farming systems and urban livelihoods that shape resilience. The document emphasizes that vulnerability is exacerbated by social inequities, political conflict, and population growth, and argues for integrated poverty reduction strategies that prioritize diversification and adaptive capacity to mitigate the impacts of climate change and resource scarcity.

The report identifies Burkina Faso as highly vulnerable to climatic shocks, epidemics, and environmental degradation, with 44.5% of the population living below the absolute poverty line. It highlights the critical role of agriculture, particularly cotton, and the risks associated with rainfall variability and drought. The document details the sensitivity of vulnerable groups—especially women, children, and nomadic pastoralists—and examines migration as a key coping strategy. It concludes that reducing vulnerability requires integrated environmental management, improved food security, and targeted support for marginalized populations.

The report examines the record of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Africa, arguing that while they can address infrastructure backlogs, they are not a 'magic bullet' and are prone to the same failures as privatisation, including corruption and high consumer costs. Through eight case studies in transport, prisons, telecommunications, water, power, and eco-tourism, the document highlights that success depends on thorough feasibility studies, strong political commitment, and effective regulatory frameworks. Key failures are attributed to a lack of transparency, poor risk management, and unrealistic design specifications. The report recommends that African governments build institutional capacity, implement integrity pacts to combat graft, and adopt a phased approach by starting with smaller projects.

The report examines the experiences of South African companies operating in Mali, noting that while the country is a democratic success story with strong economic growth, significant practical barriers exist. South African investment is heavily concentrated in gold mining and energy, contributing substantially to Mali's GDP and state revenue. However, investors face challenges including a complex tax system, weak judicial infrastructure, poor transport logistics due to Mali's landlocked position, and a lack of skilled labour. The document recommends structural reforms in taxation, labour law, and infrastructure to attract more diversified foreign investment.

The report examines the impact and challenges of South African investment in Mali, noting that while the country offers political stability and significant gold mining opportunities, investors face severe bureaucratic, legal, and infrastructural hurdles. South African firms, particularly in gold mining, have significantly boosted Mali's GDP and state revenues, but struggle with a complex tax system, an inefficient judiciary, and a lack of skilled local labor. The document highlights the case of the Syama gold mine to illustrate the environmental and social risks of mine closures. It recommends that the Malian government modernize its tax and labor laws and that the South African government provide better diplomatic and commercial support for its firms in the region.

The document describes Mali as a stable democracy with strong economic growth, largely driven by a gold boom following the 1991 Mining Code revision. South African investment is concentrated in gold mining and energy, contributing positively to state revenue and job creation, though hindered by poor infrastructure, outdated regulations, and limited local business linkages. While Mali is positioned as a potential regional trade hub via WAEMU and ECOWAS, the report notes a gap between the government's pro-investment policies and the practical difficulties faced by operators.

The document examines the role of International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including multilateral development banks and export credit agencies, in financing large-scale extractive projects. It argues that these investments frequently lead to environmental disasters, human rights abuses, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples while failing to alleviate poverty. Through case studies in Peru, Colombia, the Philippines, Laos, Romania, Chad, Cameroon, Papua New Guinea, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Lithuania, the report illustrates the 'resource curse' and the failure of the export-led development model. It concludes by recommending a gradual phase-out of IFI lending for extractive industries and a shift toward renewable energy and community-led sustainable initiatives.

The report by Friends of the Earth International contends that IFIs, including multilateral development banks and export credit agencies, facilitate a destructive export-led development model. Through various case studies in countries like Peru, Colombia, and the Philippines, the document illustrates how these investments lead to environmental catastrophes, human rights violations, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples and women. It specifically highlights the contradiction between IFI funding of fossil fuels and global climate goals, ultimately recommending a phased withdrawal from extractive sectors in favor of decentralized renewable energy initiatives.

The document examines Africa's position within the Doha Development Agenda, emphasizing the critical need for agricultural reform to eliminate trade-distorting subsidies in the US and EU. It details the challenges African nations face, including supply-side constraints, high tariffs (tariff peaks and escalation), and limited negotiating capacity. The report advocates for strategic alliances with the Cairns Group and other developing nations, while highlighting specific legal challenges, such as the fight against cotton subsidies and the effort to secure access to generic medicines under TRIPS.

The document presents a series of case studies from Friends of the Earth (FoE) affiliates worldwide, highlighting grassroots efforts to combat deforestation, protect endangered species, promote organic food, and transition to renewable energy. It emphasizes the role of local communities—particularly indigenous peoples and women—in creating sustainable alternatives to corporate-led development. The report also outlines the organization's broader political agenda to challenge international financial institutions and multinational corporations, advocating for 'ecological debt' payments from the Global North to the Global South.

The document analyzes Ghana's power sector reform, which was primarily triggered by World Bank conditionality for a thermal power project and a need to address power shortages caused by droughts. The Government of Ghana (GOG) opted for a competitive model involving the unbundling of the Volta River Authority (VRA) into strategic business units to attract private investment and reduce sovereign guarantee liabilities. The reform established two regulatory bodies: the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for tariff setting and the Energy Commission (EC) for licensing. While social goals like universal access by 2020 were integrated, the paper notes that environmental concerns were largely a 'spin-off' of other measures like Demand Side Management (DSM) and Embedded Generation Facilities (EGF).

The report argues that traditional electricity burden assessments undercount the financial strain on businesses by ignoring 'extra costs'—expenses for generators, voltage stabilizers, and alternative energy used to mitigate power outages and fluctuations. Using 2015 survey data from 1,002 grid-connected firms in Benin, the study introduces three metrics (EB1, EB2, EB3) to distinguish between burdens caused by bills alone and those driven by defensive costs. Findings show that extra costs account for 44% of total electricity expenditure and that 60% of businesses face an electricity burden when these costs are included, compared to 55% when only bills are considered. The authors recommend that policymakers in Benin and Sub-Saharan Africa incorporate these defensive costs into policy design, prioritize grid reliability infrastructure, and provide targeted financial support for vulnerable groups, particularly informal sector businesses.

Using Benin as a case study, the report argues that traditional electricity burden assessments—which only consider utility bills—underestimate the true cost of energy for businesses. By introducing three new measures (EB1, EB2, and EB3), the study quantifies the impact of 'extra costs' such as investments in generators and voltage stabilizers. The findings reveal that these preventive measures account for 44% of total electricity expenditures for connected businesses. The report highlights that informal sector businesses and those with less-educated managers are particularly vulnerable, and recommends that policymakers integrate these hidden costs into energy strategies and prioritize grid reliability to reduce the need for costly private mitigation.

The analysis demonstrates that households in Benin incur significant additional expenses for voltage stabilizers and generators to cope with power outages and fluctuations. When these 'extra' costs are included in energy poverty metrics, the percentage of energy-poor connected households rises from 51% to 72%. The report argues that current assessments are insufficient and calls for policymakers to incorporate these defensive costs into energy poverty measurements to design more targeted alleviation strategies.