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The toolkit argues that climate change impacts are not gender-neutral and that adaptation investments may reinforce existing inequalities if gender considerations are ignored. It provides a framework for integrating gender-responsive principles across the entire NAP process, from initial stocktaking and vulnerability assessments to implementation strategies and monitoring. The document details specific 'entry points' and 'enabling activities'—such as institutional arrangements, capacity development, and gender-responsive budgeting—to ensure that adaptation benefits are equitably distributed. It also provides a suite of six key tools, including gender analysis and multi-criteria analysis, to operationalize these principles.

The document serves as a supplement to the UNFCCC Technical Guidelines for the NAP process, offering a flexible framework to address gender inequalities in climate adaptation. It details specific 'entry points' within the NAP cycle—from launch and vulnerability assessment to implementation and monitoring—where gender considerations can be integrated. The toolkit emphasizes that climate impacts are not gender-neutral and that failing to address gender dynamics can inadvertently increase social inequality. It provides practical tools for gender analysis, inclusive facilitation, multi-criteria analysis for prioritization, and gender-responsive budgeting. Case studies from countries such as Peru, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Fiji illustrate the application of these principles in national planning and the use of international finance, such as the Green Climate Fund, to empower women as agents of change.

The document serves as a supplement to the UNFCCC Technical Guidelines for the NAP process, arguing that climate change impacts are not gender-neutral and that adaptation effectiveness depends on addressing gender inequalities. It outlines specific 'entry points' within the NAP cycle—from preparatory work and vulnerability assessments to implementation strategies and monitoring—where gender considerations must be integrated. The toolkit defines key concepts such as gender equality, equity, and intersectionality, and provides six essential tools: gender analysis, gender-responsive facilitation, multi-criteria analysis, gender mainstreaming, gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and gender-responsive budgeting. It includes case studies from countries such as Peru, Guinea, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Fiji, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Mexico, and Kenya to illustrate the practical application of these principles.

The report identifies significant funding gaps for universal energy access, noting that 2017 electricity access finance for new households reached only a quarter of the required annual investment. It highlights critically low investment in Sub-Saharan Africa and a severe shortfall in clean cooking finance, which represents less than 1% of the needed amount. Additionally, it argues that continued investment in fossil fuel power plants is incompatible with the Paris Agreement and the SDGs.

The report details a workshop on global economic governance and its impact on income inequality. It examines four key areas: market access, where duty-free, quota-free (DFQF) access for least developed countries (LDCs) is often undermined by domestic subsidies in rich nations; e-commerce, where data localization and source code bans are debated to protect policy space; industrial policy, which faces a trend of shrinking policy space due to WTO and regional trade agreement restrictions; and competition policy, which struggles with the market power of tech giants and a lack of international coordination. The workshop concludes that these areas are deeply interlinked and require a systemic approach to governance to support sustainable development and reduce inequality.

The report evaluates ten Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) Round 1 projects, which supported over 5 million people. Key findings highlight the effectiveness of 'layering' interventions, participatory design, and close government partnerships in increasing resilience. Successes include the deployment of early warning systems reaching 1.2 million people in Uganda, the empowerment of urban slum women in South Asia, and the implementation of road water harvesting benefiting 3 million people in Ethiopia. The synthesis emphasizes that combining traditional tools like microcredit with innovative digital technology and inclusive social strategies creates sustainable, transformational change.

The report identifies five key intervention areas for building resilience: nature-based solutions, empowering marginalized groups, information and technology, inclusive financial services, and low-cost infrastructure. It argues that effective resilience programming must be systemic by design, utilize layered and linked interventions, create agile networks, promote equity and inclusion, and prioritize iterative learning and scaling. Evidence from GRP's USAID and Z Zurich Foundation challenges, as well as 42 partner programs, demonstrates that these approaches can protect development gains and improve well-being in the face of climate and economic shocks.

The document defines anti-agricultural bias as a condition where policies and market failures disadvantage farmers relative to other economic sectors. It details four primary economic indicators for measuring this bias: the Nominal Rate of Protection, the Nominal Rate of Assistance, the Relative Rate of Assistance, and the Effective Rate of Protection. The report argues that while historical bias was driven by explicit taxes on agriculture and subsidies for industry, contemporary bias in non-transformed economies often stems from market failures, such as poor infrastructure and unbalanced market power. Through case studies of 12 countries, the report demonstrates that bias is often heterogeneous across different crops; for example, rice often benefits from protection via regional tariffs, while cash crops like tea or cashew nuts are frequently taxed. Specific country analyses reveal that in nations like Ethiopia and Zambia, high anti-agricultural bias is driven by low output prices and export bans, despite the presence of agricultural import tariffs.

The report analyzes agricultural transformation across 117 countries from 1970 to 2015, identifying six phases of transformation and five structural contexts based on land fertility, availability, and population dynamics. It argues that successful transformation requires a tailored mix of 'push' strategies (increasing agricultural productivity) or 'pull' strategies (growing non-agricultural sectors), depending on a country's endowments. Key drivers of success include removing 'anti-agricultural bias' in price policies, strategic public investment in R&D and extension services, and critical institutional reforms such as land redistribution. The report provides specific policy recommendations for 13 focus countries in Africa and Asia, matching them with historically successful 'analogue' countries based on their 2015 structural contexts.

The document examines how 'migration' and 'development' are defined and measured in quantitative research, highlighting a gap in evidence regarding migration aspirations, failed attempts, and involuntary immobility. It discusses the challenges of establishing causal links due to endogeneity—specifically reverse causality, self-selection, and omitted variables—and evaluates experimental and non-experimental methods to address these biases. The paper advocates for a holistic, multi-dimensional approach to development that moves beyond economic metrics to include social, institutional, and environmental outcomes.

The Stockholm Environment Institute has developed the Empowerment in WASH Index (EWI) to address gender data gaps in the WASH sector. The tool measures agency, participation, and empowerment across individual, household, and community levels. A case study in Banfora, Burkina Faso, demonstrated that the EWI can identify specific drivers of disempowerment—such as lack of input in expenditure decisions and work balance—to help municipalities design gender-integrated strategic plans. The findings suggest a positive correlation between higher levels of female empowerment and the use of improved sanitation and on-premises water sources.

The document analyzes the vulnerability of MSMEs in low- and middle-income countries to physical and transition climate risks, highlighting how these risks are amplified through value chains. It identifies significant barriers to adaptation, including limited access to climate data, finance, and technical skills. The authors argue for a participatory, inclusive approach where MSMEs are not only resilient but also act as providers of adaptation goods and services, supported by state policies, large businesses, and financial institutions.

The August 2019 Peace & Security Council Report examines the African Union's (AU) struggle to define 'unconstitutional changes of government' in the context of popular uprisings in Algeria and Sudan. It highlights the risks of increasing foreign military presence, particularly in the Horn of Africa, and the resulting rivalry between global powers like the US and China. The report also advocates for the inclusion of women in Sudan's peace process and warns of potential political instability in Côte d’Ivoire ahead of the 2020 elections. Finally, it discusses the limited access civil society organizations have to AU and regional economic community structures.

The document details the efforts of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) to support Namibian civil society organisations (CSOs) in engaging with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Following Namibia's accession to the APRM in January 2017, CSOs formed a working group in 2018 to identify 13 critical governance issues and produce a written submission presented on 21 June 2019. The brief outlines ten lessons for other countries, emphasizing the need for early familiarity with the APRM, strategic issue selection, government engagement to build trust, and the use of peer learning from other states. It concludes that the process not only pressured the Namibian government to accelerate its national APRM process but also led to the creation of 'Civic +264', a new information hub for civil society coordination.

The document examines the synergies and challenges of aligning the NAP and NDC processes under the Paris Agreement. It argues that because the NDC provides high-level direction and the NAP elaborates implementation strategies, they are complementary tools. Based on dialogues with 16 countries and workshops in Grenada and Peru, the brief identifies that most countries currently have informal alignment and suggests using the 2020 NDC update cycle to integrate NAP results, improve data quality, and enhance adaptation goals.

The document argues that aligning NDCs and NAP processes under the Paris Agreement provides a feasible starting point for countries to improve the coherence and efficiency of their climate policies. While NDCs offer high-level direction, NAPs provide the technical strategies for implementation. The briefing identifies common challenges, such as differing timelines and institutional silos, and suggests that the 2020 NDC update cycle is a critical opportunity to integrate NAP findings into national climate commitments. Furthermore, it positions this alignment as a gateway to integrating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The document argues that aligning NDCs and NAP processes provides a feasible starting point for countries to improve the coherence and efficiency of their climate policies. While NDCs offer high-level guidance, NAPs provide the technical strategies for implementation. The briefing identifies a continuum of alignment—ranging from informal to systematic—and highlights that the 2020 NDC update cycle presents a critical opportunity for countries to use NAP results to enhance the quality and ambition of their adaptation goals. It further suggests that this alignment can serve as a foundation for broader integration with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As of 30 June 2019, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) reports that portfolio concentration and liquidity remain within approved risk tolerance levels, with no non-performing loans for eight consecutive quarters. The portfolio consists of 101 approved funding proposals totaling USD 4.97 billion equivalent, with a distribution of 44% mitigation, 22% adaptation, and 13% cross-cutting projects. Geographically, Africa holds the largest share of approved funding at 43%, followed by Asia-Pacific at 31%. The fund maintains a foreign exchange commitment risk buffer of USD 46.6 million equivalent.

African cities face a 'triple challenge' of rapid population growth, urban expansion, and poor waste management, which threatens urban sustainability and marine ecosystems. The report advocates for a transition from linear 'take–make–dispose' models to a circular economy that prioritises resource efficiency and waste removal. Key recommendations include integrating the informal waste sector, implementing municipal composting, and leveraging regional policy frameworks like Agenda 2063 to foster green entrepreneurialism.

The report examines the complex relationship between the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), specifically the application of 'subsidiarity'—the principle that regional structures should lead in their own jurisdictions. It highlights systemic failures in North Africa due to the inactivity of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), tensions between the AU and SADC over elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the AU's successful re-assumption of leadership in the Central African Republic. The document also notes the East African Community's (EAC) internal trade disputes, ECOWAS's struggle to adapt to violent extremism in the Sahel, and the general lack of civil society engagement within the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).