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Global Witness reports that the 'rush for lithium' in Africa is failing to deliver a just energy transition, instead risking the entrenchment of corruption and ESG failures. In Zimbabwe, the Sandawana mine is linked to sanctioned elites and ZANU-PF allies, with reports of child labour and the illegal export of unprocessed ore. In Namibia, Xinfeng Investments is accused of using bribery to acquire licenses and operating an industrial-scale mine under small-scale permits to avoid environmental assessments. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Manono project has been stalled by ownership disputes and allegations that shell companies linked to former President Joseph Kabila's associates profited by millions while the state treasury received negligible funds.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) holds approximately 60% of the Congo Basin tropical forest, storing 30 billion tonnes of carbon, yet it faces one of the world's highest deforestation rates, losing over one million hectares of cover in 2023. Despite a 20-year moratorium on new logging concessions and a 2022 decree suspending 12 illegal concessions covering over 1.9 million hectares, illegal logging persists due to selective law enforcement and government complicity. Specifically, Chinese companies Booming Green and Wan Peng (via Congo King Baisheng Forestry Development) are accused of systematic illegalities and ignoring export quotas. The document advocates for a shift toward community-led forest management, noting that deforestation rates in community-managed areas are 23% lower than the national average and 46% lower than in industrial logging concessions.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) possesses approximately 60% of the Congo Basin rainforest, storing an estimated 27 to 30 billion tonnes of carbon. Despite this importance, the DRC experienced a loss of over one million hectares of vegetation cover in 2023. The document highlights a systemic failure to enforce forest laws, noting that a moratorium on new logging concessions has been in place for over 20 years yet illegal logging continues. Specifically, a January 2024 review of 82 logging permits resulted in 23 terminations, while only 53 received conditional approval. The text identifies Chinese companies, including Booming Green and Wan Peng (operating via Congo King Baisheng Forestry Development), as entities that allegedly obtain concessions through influence peddling and ignore export quotas. Furthermore, a April 2022 decree suspending 12 illegally granted concessions covering over 1,966,630 hectares remains unenforced, with satellite data showing continued activity in these areas. In contrast, the document notes that community-managed forests have a deforestation rate 23% lower than the national average and 46% lower than that of logging concessions, suggesting community forestry as a viable alternative for sustainable management.

Global Witness asserts that the influence of corporate money in US politics, exacerbated by the Citizens United decision, has led to climate inaction and the failure to implement the Cardin-Lugar anti-corruption provision. The organization argues that the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) proposed rules are insufficient because they do not require project-level payment disclosure, which is essential for detecting corruption in the extractive industries, as evidenced by cases involving Shell, Eni, and Glencore.

Global Witness reports that Cargill has purchased soy from farms in Bolivia where over 20,000 hectares of forest have been cleared since 2017. The investigation finds that Cargill fails to collect necessary origin data for its soy, undermining its public commitments to deforestation-free supply chains. Furthermore, a leaked map suggests Cargill may be targeting an additional 3 million hectares of standing forest for future soy sourcing. The report also highlights that global banks, including Barclays, BNP Paribas, HSBC, and Santander, continue to provide billions in financing to Cargill despite their own pledges to reduce deforestation in their portfolios.

A Global Witness and Public Eye investigation reveals that the world's top three commodity traders—Vitol, Glencore, and Trafigura—engaged middlemen linked to Brazil's 'Car Wash' corruption scandal. The report details how these intermediaries, including the 'Deacon of Bribes' and professional money-launderers, allegedly facilitated bribery schemes and insider information trades to secure oil and fuel contracts with Petrobras. While the companies deny wrongdoing, the report highlights 'corruption red flags' and calls for investigations by authorities in the UK, US, and Switzerland.

The report assesses the current state of electricity generation, transmission, and consumption across Africa, highlighting a 'double burden' of climate and transition risk. It finds that while renewable energy potential is high, investment is heavily skewed toward generation and concentrated in a few countries, with significant data gaps hindering effective policy. The analysis of Global Production Networks (GPNs) reveals a heavy dependence on imported technology, particularly from China, and identifies specific challenges and opportunities for localising solar and wind value chains. Employment data is noted as inconsistent, though solar PV dominates the current renewable energy job landscape.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides free advisory and capacity development services to low-income governments and regional bodies to promote responsible private sector investment in agriculture. IISD focuses on creating legal frameworks that balance the benefits of foreign capital and technology with the protection of food security, land tenure rights, and natural resources. Their expertise includes developing model contracts for farmland investments, regional investment guidelines, contract farming templates, and policies for agricultural growth poles and zones.

The document details efforts to mitigate conflicts over natural resource extraction in Kahuzi Biega National Park through the establishment of Community Conservation Committees (CCCs) and the implementation of a conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) approach. While initiatives by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other partners successfully improved relations and temporarily reduced illegal logging in the Bugobe village area, poverty remains a primary driver of resource extraction, leading to the introduction of microcredit programs to support local livelihoods.

The document describes how the conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) approach was used to address the degradation of the Lake Edward fishery in Virunga National Park, which had been devastated by decades of violent conflict. By restructuring multistakeholder monitoring committees and implementing a support program involving awareness campaigns, law enforcement, and transboundary dialogue, the initiative improved cooperation among stakeholders, reduced illegal fishing, and increased fish yields. While not solving the broader regional conflicts, the project contributed to peacebuilding through environmental cooperation and strengthened local food security.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent policy research organization that operates across six primary programs: Economic Law and Policy, Energy, Water, Resilience, SDG Knowledge, and Reporting Services. The organization focuses on creating holistic, interconnected solutions to global challenges, providing technical support to developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and tracking the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its work spans nearly 100 countries, ranging from supporting solar power transitions in India to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies in Indonesia.

The document examines how valuable minerals can finance violence, trigger local conflicts, and weaken state governance through corruption. It provides lessons learned for development interventions, such as empowering local communities, supporting artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), and promoting corporate responsibility. The toolkit includes a survey instrument for risk assessment and lists USAID contracting mechanisms and international partners to address mineral-related conflict.

The report examines the environmental impact of the ICT sector, specifically regarding energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and the global e-waste trade. It contrasts these negative effects with the potential for ICTs to drive economic growth and support a 'green economy' through improved resource efficiency, dematerialisation, and systemic social transformation. The text highlights the disproportionate burden of e-waste on developing nations and identifies critical policy challenges, such as rebound effects and unintended consequences of digital openness.

The document lists the top 15 oil palm-producing countries as of 2016, including major producers such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea, while categorizing them based on harvest area and VSS compliance.

The text argues that Africa has lost its Cold War-era strategic importance, leading to a rise in regional conflicts and state fragility. It discusses a shift toward subregional security arrangements (such as ECOWAS and SADC) as African nations and donors move away from reliance on the UN. The author contends that stability requires a focus on domestic security and 'collaborative security' based on transparency and reassurance rather than collective defense, warning that supporting weak, undemocratic states to provide regional security without international oversight may have negative consequences.

The document outlines how South Africa can strengthen its peacebuilding engagements with the United Nations by utilizing its experience in democratic transition and African continental engagements to lead within UN structures and contribute to debates such as the 2015 UN peacebuilding review.

The document examines the stability of Rwanda's government under President Paul Kagame, noting a significant loss of donor assistance following allegations of support for the M23 rebellion in the DRC. It highlights a tightly controlled political environment where opposition figures, such as Victoire Ingabire, face imprisonment and exiled members of the Rwandan National Congress have their passports cancelled. The briefing warns that the lack of viable opposition and the perception of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) as a Tutsi-dominated party may threaten long-term stability, especially as President Kagame indicated he would not seek another term after 2017.

The text discusses the distinction between Chapter VI and Chapter VII of the UN Charter regarding the use of force in peacekeeping. It highlights the role of the Mission d`Organisation des Nations Unies en Republique Democratique du Congo (MONUC) in a volatile environment characterized by state collapse and regional instability, where the military component was required to lead security efforts and protect civilians.

This text is the introductory material for a book titled 'The many faces of human security: Case studies of seven countries in Southern Africa', produced by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) with funding from the Royal Danish embassy in South Africa. It outlines the collaborative effort between the ISS, the Southern African Peace and Security Network (SAPSNet), and various academic and strategic partners across seven Southern African nations to explore the concept of human security in a region historically dominated by state security priorities.

The document evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the Democratic Republic of Congo's anti-corruption framework between 2003 and 2006, identifying gaps in national laws relative to international standards and providing recommendations for institutional improvement.