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SACU – One Hundred Not Out: What future for the Customs Union?
This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the crisis facing the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) as it celebrates its centenary. The author analyzes how Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with the European Union and a shrinking revenue pool have threatened the organization's stability, potentially leading to its downgrade from a customs union to a free trade area. The paper combines general analysis with questionnaire results from policymakers in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola to explore the divergent interests of member states regarding revenue sharing, industrial policy, and regional integration.
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Document type: Research paper
Scoping the future of SACU: a hundred years on
This research paper examines the existential challenges facing the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) as it marks its centenary. The author argues that the organization's survival depends on resolving internal dissonance regarding its revenue-sharing formula and Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with the European Union, while proposing a regional development fund to reduce the smaller member states' fiscal dependence on South Africa.
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Document type: Research paper
plantations are not forests position paper
This position paper by Friends of the Earth International argues that tree plantations are monoculture agricultural systems, not forests, and that they cause significant biological, social, and cultural damage globally. The document criticizes the use of plantations as carbon sinks under the Kyoto Protocol and denounces the role of international organizations like the FAO in legitimizing these systems.
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Document type: Statement
What Does the Future Hold for SACU? From Own Goal to Laduma!
This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) details a scenario-planning exercise conducted in May 2010 to explore the future of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). The authors identify key certainties and uncertainties—such as the impact of the global financial crisis and Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations—to project four potential futures for the organization, ranging from deeper integration to total collapse.
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Document type: Research paper
South Africa’s Energy Security in the Context of Climate Change Mitigation
This 2010 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the tensions between South Africa's reliance on coal for energy security and its commitments to climate change mitigation. It analyzes the dominance of the state utility Eskom, the challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy, and the potential for regional energy cooperation within Southern Africa to diversify the electricity supply mix.
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Document type: Report
The more things change, what Zuma’s presidency means for the rest of Africa
This research paper analyzes the potential impact of Jacob Zuma's presidency on South Africa's foreign policy and its relationship with the African continent, arguing that continuity is more likely than dramatic change due to the overarching influence of the African National Congress (ANC).
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Document type: Research paper
The Criminal Justice System in Zambia
This chapter of a 2009 report examines Zambia's engagement with regional and international treaties, protocols, and organizations focused on crime, security, and law enforcement. It highlights a gap between the signing and ratification of these instruments and emphasizes the need for better domestic implementation to ensure legal enforceability.
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Document type: Report
Greenhouse Gases and Human Well-Being
This research paper examines the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and human well-being, using China as a primary case study. It analyzes how income per capita, energy production mixes, and geography correlate with CO2 emissions across 174 countries and 30 Chinese provinces, arguing that current high-consumption lifestyles in rich countries are incompatible with low-emission stabilization targets.
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Document type: Research paper
Transport Services in SACU: Accelerating Harmonisation and Liberalisation
This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the transport services sector within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), focusing on the need for harmonisation and liberalisation across road, rail, maritime, and air transport to enhance regional economic integration and global competitiveness.
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Document type: Research paper
Sustainable Development: The missing piece in the Southern African Customs Union’s regional trading arrangements?
This report examines the integration of sustainable development into the regional and bilateral trade arrangements of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), comprising South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Swaziland. It analyzes the tension between trade liberalization and national development goals, the impact of the SACU Revenue Sharing Formula, and the outcomes of various Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The study concludes that most trade deals focus almost exclusively on market access, neglecting social and environmental pillars of sustainable development.
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Document type: Report
Swaziland: reforms long overdue
This research paper argues that Swaziland (now Eswatini) requires urgent political and institutional reform to address severe socio-economic crises, including widespread poverty, a devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic, and an absolute monarchy that lacks accountability.
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Document type: Research paper
What The Future Holds For Zimbabwe?
This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the political crisis in Zimbabwe surrounding the June 27, 2008, presidential run-off election, following the withdrawal of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. It details the widespread political violence and evaluates four potential scenarios for the country's future, concluding that a Mugabe victory is the most likely short-term outcome despite international condemnation.
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Document type: Briefing
Seminar Summary Report: The Constitution and the Security Sector: Enhancement of Democratic Values and Peace
This report summarizes a seminar held in Pretoria on June 6, 2008, which focused on the relationship between national constitutions and the security sector to promote democratic values, peace, and security sector reform (SSR) in Africa.
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Document type: Report
Catching the Middlemen Fuelling African Conflicts
This research paper examines the role of transnational organised crime networks and 'middlemen' in fueling African conflicts through the illicit trade of weapons and natural resources. Using the case studies of Leonid Minin and Victor Bout, the document highlights the sophistication of these networks, their use of front companies and tax havens, and the systemic failures of international law enforcement and national legislation to prosecute sanctions-busting activities.
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Document type: Research paper
Malaria rates underscore need to set aside costly taboos
This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that international donor agencies and UN bodies are hindering malaria control in Africa by resisting the use of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and DDT in favor of less effective measures. The author contends that a 'vertical' health program approach, combining DDT-based IRS and Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), is the most effective strategy, citing successful implementations in South Africa and India.
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Document type: Research paper
South Africa in Africa: An Assessment
This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs assesses South Africa's foreign policy, economic relations, and security role within Africa since 1994. It highlights the transition from the 'principled' approach of the Mandela era to the 'pragmatic' African Renaissance agenda under Thabo Mbeki, while noting the tensions between South Africa's regional economic dominance and its desire to avoid being perceived as a 'big brother'.
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Document type: Briefing
Migration in Southern Africa. Migration Management Initiatives for SADC Member States
This research paper examines international migration patterns in southern Africa, focusing on the challenges of data collection and the implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Draft Protocol on Facilitation of Movement of Persons. It analyzes the typology of voluntary and forced migration, the prevalence of xenophobia in destination countries, and the need for harmonized legislation to achieve regional integration.
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Document type: Research paper
Migration in southern Africa
This research paper examines international migration patterns in southern Africa, focusing on the challenges of data collection and the implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Draft Protocol on Facilitation of Movement of Persons. It analyzes the dynamics of voluntary and forced migration, the prevalence of xenophobia in destination countries, and the need for harmonized legislation to achieve regional integration.
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Document type: Research paper
climatechange: voices from communities affected by climate change
This report by Friends of the Earth International presents testimonies from nine countries to illustrate the human impact of climate change. It emphasizes that Indigenous Peoples and communities in the global South are most vulnerable due to their reliance on land and water. The document argues for a global movement to achieve climate justice by challenging the economic systems driving unsustainable production and consumption.
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Document type: Report
voces de comunidades afectadas por el cambio climático
This report by Friends of the Earth International presents testimonies from nine countries, highlighting the disproportionate vulnerability of the Global South to climate change. It emphasizes that local communities often possess ancestral knowledge and traditional practices—such as agroecology and sustainable water management—that are more effective for adaptation than top-down institutional measures. The document calls for a global movement for climate justice and a transition away from fossil fuels to protect the most marginalized populations.
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Document type: Report