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A statement by the Alliance for Renewable Electrification (ARE) outlining the role of decentralised renewable energy (DRE) in achieving universal electrification by 2030 and proposing three 'building blocks'—increased finance, stable regulatory frameworks, and an enabling market environment—to scale the sector.

The April 2021 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the operational challenges of the newly merged African Union Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) department, the diplomatic deadlock over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and governance crises in Senegal, Benin, Cameroon, and Chad.

A 450 kWp roof-mounted PV solar power plant with a 484 kWh Cegasa lithium LFP battery storage system was installed at the Benin – Niger border post in Malenville, Benin. The project, built for UEMOA by SAGEMCOM Energy & Telecom, Sahel Energie Solaire, and AEP, aims to provide reliable self-consumption power to Juxtaposed Control Stations in an area with an underdeveloped electrical grid.

This policy brief evaluates the Global Programme of Action (GPA), a non-binding UNEP initiative launched in 1995 to combat land-based marine pollution. While the GPA successfully shifted global focus toward source-based action and established key partnerships for nutrient management, marine litter, and wastewater, it has struggled against increasing pollution levels and a shift toward more specialized, legally binding treaties. The document highlights that 80% of marine pollution comes from land, with plastics and untreated sewage posing severe threats to marine ecosystems and human livelihoods.

This research paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) identifies key strategies to accelerate climate change adaptation across Africa. Based on interviews with African scientists and practitioners, the paper advocates for a shift toward locally-led, inclusive solutions that integrate indigenous knowledge with scientific projections. It proposes three primary investment pillars: enhancing people's skills and knowledge, building climate-resilient economies, and investing in nature-based solutions.

This briefing examines the 25-year history and impact of the Global Programme of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, detailing its role in coordinating international efforts to combat marine pollution from terrestrial sources.

This report analyzes regional trends in cooling access gaps for 2021, focusing on high-impact countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It highlights an overall increase in populations at highest risk—specifically the rural and urban poor—across all regions, with the COVID-19 pandemic cited as a contributing factor to rising poverty and cooling access challenges.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines strategies for sustainable resource mobilisation to strengthen global healthcare systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues for a shift from disease-specific 'vertical' funding to a 'whole systems approach' that addresses the triple burden of non-communicable diseases, existing infections, and pandemic response gaps. The document emphasizes the importance of domestic resource mobilisation (DRM), the need for equitable vaccine distribution through the ACT-Accelerator and COVAX, and the potential for LMICs to leverage lessons from the AIDS epidemic to challenge intellectual property barriers via TRIPS waivers.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs assesses the economic policy responses of low-income countries (LICs) in Africa to the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that while these countries employed expansionary fiscal and monetary tools, the scale and quality of their responses were modest compared to developed and middle-income nations due to pre-existing structural bottlenecks, high debt, and limited fiscal space. The document emphasizes the need for a data-driven recovery approach, increased digital and financial inclusion, and the continued importance of official development assistance, particularly for fragile states.

This policy brief examines how COVID-19 macroeconomic responses in Nigeria and Uganda have inadvertently increased inequalities. It finds that cash transfers are underfunded and poorly targeted, excluding the urban poor; monetary easing has not lowered commercial loan rates for high-risk borrowers; and budget restructuring has prioritized formal sectors and government suppliers over health, education, and social protection. The brief recommends using electronic platforms for cash distribution and promoting renewable energy investments for low-income households.

This document provides guidelines for a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) issued by the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and GEF’s Challenge Program for Adaptation Innovation. The initiative seeks to identify and scale innovative financial mechanisms that support private sector resilience solutions in Fragile and Conflict-Prone Least Developed Countries.

This research paper by the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) examines the gap between the signing of regional trade agreements and their actual implementation in Africa. It highlights the 'crisis of implementation' affecting the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and discusses the potential and challenges of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The authors argue for a shift from top-down agreements to a bottom-up, problem-driven approach centered on regional public goods to ensure sustainable economic integration.

This report documents a virtual training workshop held on July 28-29, 2020, for national experts in Côte d’Ivoire. The workshop focused on the methodologies and tools required to create greenhouse gas (GHG) and black carbon inventories specifically for the waste sector, as part of a broader project to support the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal.

This special report analyzes the initial response to COVID-19 in Africa, examining the vulnerabilities of the continent's health systems, the various mitigation strategies adopted by different nations, and the challenges of implementing lockdowns in contexts of high poverty and informality.

This July 2020 issue of the Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines critical political and security challenges across Africa, focusing on the Central African Republic's electoral turning point, the diplomatic impasse between Somalia and Somaliland, insecurity in the Sahel, and the impact of COVID-19 on governance and elections across the continent.

This June 2020 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the activities of the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on regional coordination against COVID-19, the political and security situation in Somalia, institutional reforms within the AU Commission, and the challenges of borderland security and youth engagement.

The May 2020 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) challenges in the Sahel, the human rights risks associated with COVID-19 states of emergency, the adaptation of peace support operations (PSOs) to the pandemic, and the economic threat to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also analyzes the potential shift in the global order and the need for Africa to reduce its dependence on external support.

This report provides a comparative analysis of the legal and regulatory frameworks governing artisanal gold mining within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). It identifies systemic gaps in strategic planning, institutional management, and normative application, while proposing an integrated approach through the creation of 'reserved gold mining zones' to promote sustainable and formalised practices.

This report details the history and current state of e-commerce negotiations at the WTO, focusing on the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI). It examines how existing WTO rules apply to digital trade, the growth of the JSI membership to 83 countries, and the critical divides between developed and developing nations regarding data flows, customs duties, and technical capacity.

This policy brief examines the slow adoption of the AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection and suggests that the African Union adopt the 'norm entrepreneur' approach of the European Union. It highlights Mauritius as a regional success story and recommends the AU implement agile governance principles and create a continental cybersecurity agency similar to ENISA to better protect citizens and combat cybercrime.