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The paper examines how the APRM's Expanded Mandate has revitalized the agency by introducing targeted reviews and monitoring roles for Agenda 2063 and the SDGs, while cautioning that these additions may distract from its core mission of comprehensive country reviews. It highlights the role of the 'Kagame Reforms' and the leadership of CEO Prof. Eddy Maloka in restoring institutional stability and financial predictability. The author argues that the APRM must now consolidate these gains, rationalizing its activities to ensure that new instruments, such as National Governance Reports, do not become weak substitutes for rigorous peer reviews.

The GCF Secretariat report for the first trimester of 2021 highlights a record funding approval of USD 1.2 billion at a single Board meeting (B.28) and a portfolio implementation rate of 73%. Key priorities include the 'DAE Action Plan' to increase funding for Direct Access Entities, the development of a Private Sector Strategy to catalyze adaptation finance, and the implementation of the 'GCF People Plan' to enhance institutional capacity. The report also details a long-term vision for collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and efforts to secure privileges and immunities through a potential relationship with the United Nations.

The document contends that Africa's historical 'jobless growth' is due to a dependence on primary commodities and a lack of structural transformation. It proposes a shift from 'stabilization' to 'transformation' by coordinating fiscal and monetary policies with sectoral and labour market interventions. Key recommendations include increasing public investment in the care economy and infrastructure, implementing expenditure-switching methods to reduce import reliance, adopting progressive taxation, and establishing national minimum wages to boost domestic demand and productivity.

The document examines the role of nuclear science and technology in Africa, highlighting the use of 10 research reactors for education and medical/environmental research. It emphasizes the critical need for radiotherapy machines to combat rising cancer rates and the use of nuclear techniques in agriculture to ensure food security and manage zoonotic diseases. The brief outlines the legal framework for peaceful use, including the Pelindaba Treaty and the NPT, and identifies challenges such as public skepticism, financial instability, and safety risks. It recommends expanded continental training and continued cooperation with the IAEA and AFCONE.

The document details the Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Project, an initiative led by the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). It describes how over 35 CSOs collaborated to produce a governance report covering 12 key areas, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The briefing provides a set of recommendations for other countries, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity, non-partisan coordination, and the use of ICTs to facilitate civic engagement in governance reviews.

The document examines the state of agricultural value chains in the SADC region, noting that while the sector was minimally affected by COVID-19 compared to others, the pandemic exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. Key challenges identified include a heavy reliance on subsistence farming, food insecurity, and the impact of climate change. The brief argues for a 'dual approach' that supports both small-scale and large-scale commercial farming, the adoption of climate-smart technologies, digitalization of value chains, and the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to enhance regional trade and food security.

The Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Project, a collaboration between the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), culminated in the April 20, 2021, launch of a civil society submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The project identified 12 key governance issues, including human rights, sustainable development, and food security, and sought to ensure the voices of marginalised groups—such as the LGBTQI+ community and indigenous communities—were included. Government representatives indicated that the submission's recommendations would inform Botswana's constitutional review process.

The document examines the digital divide's impact on climate practitioners in Africa, Asia, and South America, identifying barriers such as unreliable electricity and high data costs while highlighting the benefits of increased accessibility and reduced travel costs. It provides specific lessons from IPCC meetings and national processes in Kenya and Peru to improve inclusivity in virtual spaces.

The document examines the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains within the SADC region, noting that while the sector was less affected than others, the pandemic intensified existing vulnerabilities. Key challenges identified include a heavy reliance on subsistence farming, food insecurity, and the effects of climate change. The authors argue for a 'dual approach' that supports both small-scale and large-scale commercial farming, the adoption of climate-smart technologies, and the digitalisation of value chains. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is highlighted as a critical mechanism for enhancing regional trade and protecting small-scale farmers.

The report assesses South Africa's natural gas value chain, identifying a current energy mix contribution of 2.6% with a target of 15.7% by 2030. It evaluates domestic reserves in basins such as the Orange and Outeniqua, regional supply options from SADC countries—particularly Mozambique—and global LNG markets. The document prioritizes gas-to-power projects as anchor demand to stimulate infrastructure growth, while also exploring industrial and transport applications like CNG for taxis and buses. It concludes with a PESTEL and SWOT analysis to inform a national roadmap for gas sector reforms.

The report identifies 12 governance challenges in Botswana, noting that while the country has a history of good governance, it now faces rising corruption and a lack of accountability. Key areas of concern include the marginalisation of smaller parties and women/youth due to the First Past the Post electoral system, poor public service performance resulting from a lack of comprehensive decentralisation policy, and economic exclusion where many citizens remain below the poverty line despite national growth. The submission recommends a Mixed Member Proportional Representation system, the creation of a national action plan on human rights, and the development of a written overarching foreign policy framework centered on the economy.

The Gender Action Plan for the 'Ecosystem-Based Adaptation and Mitigation in Botswana’s Communal Rangelands' project aims to integrate gender-responsive actions into rangeland restoration and livestock management. The project targets the restoration of 4.6 million hectares of degraded land and a 30% reduction in livestock emissions, while directly benefiting 160,000 people. It identifies systemic gender barriers, such as customary marriage laws affecting inheritance and the male-dominated kgotla decision-making system, and proposes targeted interventions including leadership training for women, childcare support for workers, and the employment of a full-time Gender Officer. The plan sets specific targets, such as ensuring over 40% of Stewardship Agreement signatories are women and employing 3,600 women as Ecorangers or Restoration Workers.

SADC member states generally struggle to meet the 2001 Abuja Declaration pledge to allocate 15% of national budgets to healthcare, with an average annual allocation of 5.3%. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted critical gaps in healthcare infrastructure, drug supplies, and professional staffing, while simultaneously straining regional economies. To bridge funding gaps amidst declining GDP and high external debt, the paper recommends establishing a SADC regional healthcare fund backed by the African Union, forming public-private partnerships, improving domestic tax compliance, and involving civil society organisations to ensure transparency in health financing.

The report analyzes the role of trade policy in managing food system shocks, using the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2015-2016 Southern Africa drought, and the US-China trade war as case studies. It argues that current WTO rules have gaps regarding export restrictions, high tariffs, and harmful agricultural subsidies. To enhance resilience, the authors propose four policy goals: ensuring food access for the poor, protecting farmer livelihoods, improving market functioning through equitable resource distribution, and restoring trust in multilateral institutions. Key recommendations include exempting humanitarian food purchases from export bans, reducing 'tariff peaks' in major importing countries, and establishing a special safeguard mechanism for low-income producers.

The document argues that while most Southern African NDCs mention agriculture, they often lack quantifiable commitments, detailed financing plans, and inclusive governance. It recommends that revised NDCs explicitly include farmers as active agents of change, integrate gender and youth considerations, and establish multi-stakeholder platforms to ensure agricultural interests are reflected in climate action and sustainable development goals.

The report evaluates Botswana's governance across 12 thematic areas, including human rights, separation of powers, and sustainable development. While acknowledging Botswana's global reputation for stability and economic management, it highlights systemic failures such as high gender-based violence, a lack of true separation between the Executive and Parliament, and significant economic inequality. It recommends structural reforms to the electoral system, the decentralisation of public services, and the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution to ensure more inclusive and accountable governance.

The document argues that Zimbabwe can overcome high transport costs and fuel shortages by transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) and micromobility. It highlights the potential for a 'campus model' of electrification in the mining sector, the use of used EV imports to lower entry barriers, and the opportunity to leverage Zimbabwe's rich deposits of battery minerals like lithium and nickel to move from mineral export to local battery manufacturing.

The Zimbabwe APRM Popular Sensitisation (ZAPS) Project hosted a workshop on February 26, 2021, involving the Zimbabwean government, the APRM Secretariat, and civil society organisations (CSOs). The event focused on the role of CSOs in enhancing accountability and transparency through the APRM process. Participants from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia shared experiences, emphasizing the need to avoid politicising the review process, the value of unified CSO collaboration, and the importance of involving youth and providing civic education to ordinary citizens.

The document examines the failure of most SADC member states to adhere to the Abuja Declaration's pledge to allocate 15% of annual budgets to health, noting that by the end of 2018, all member states were struggling to meet this target. It identifies aid dependency and economic decline as primary barriers, while arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a critical catalyst for overhauling underfunded systems. To bridge funding gaps, the author recommends establishing a SADC regional healthcare fund backed by the African Union, forming public-private partnerships, improving domestic tax compliance, and involving civil society organisations to ensure transparency.

The Zimbabwe APRM Popular Sensitisation (ZAPS) project, led by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the SIVIO Institute, seeks to support Zimbabwean civil society organisations (CSOs) in influencing the national African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process. Following a pre-planning meeting on 29 January 2021, the project intends to establish a CSO Working Group to identify 10-12 key governance issues and produce an evidence-based 'spotlight report' for the government and the APRM Secretariat. The project is scheduled to run for six months, with a sensitisation workshop planned for February 2021 and a working group meeting in March 2021 to select governance priorities.