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This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) adoption of the Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection. It argues that while the convention is a positive step, African states face significant hurdles in ratification and implementation due to capacity gaps, free speech concerns, and the global nature of cybercrime.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) evaluates the progress and challenges of regional integration in Africa, drawing primarily on Country Review Reports (CRRs) from the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It examines the gap between the African Union's high-level rhetorical commitments to a continent-wide common market and the practical realities of limited trade growth, administrative incapacity, and political reluctance to cede national sovereignty.

The Ogiek Bio-Cultural Community Protocol (BCP), published by Natural Justice in 2015, is a community-determined document outlining the rights, traditional knowledge, and resource management priorities of the Ogiek people, an indigenous hunter-gatherer group in Kenya. The protocol serves as a tool to safeguard their ancestral lands in the Mau Forest Complex and Mount Elgon, establishing terms for access to their traditional knowledge and the equitable sharing of benefits arising from their resources.

This report, published by Natural Justice and Namati, synthesizes strategies and lessons from a 2013 symposium of 20 expert advocates working to protect community lands and natural resources across Africa. It provides a practitioner-focused guide to confronting threats such as state-driven mega-projects, large-scale land concessions, and exclusionary conservation. The document emphasizes the importance of community self-definition, the use of biocultural community protocols, and the necessity of multi-pronged advocacy strategies that combine legal education, community mobilization, and strategic engagement with government and media.

This report, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs in 2015, examines the state of governance and accountability in Africa. It analyzes both continental frameworks, such as the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the African Peer Review Mechanism, and domestic institutions, including parliaments, courts, and ombudsman offices, to identify the drivers of democratic progress and the persistence of authoritarian tendencies.

The SEI Strategy 2015–2019 outlines the Stockholm Environment Institute's framework for bridging science and policy to support sustainable development. The strategy focuses on enhancing scientific research through new 'SEI Initiatives', expanding policy engagement to include 'hard-to-reach' stakeholders like the private sector, and strengthening capacity development across individual, organizational, and institutional levels. It also details the enabling infrastructure required for delivery, including communications, ICT tools, financial management, and a custom monitoring system (PMEC).

This text describes a book that examines the intersection of development and climate change, specifically highlighting a case study on charcoal production in Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) as a means of increasing community adaptive capacity and energy access.

This briefing describes the Government of Kenya's efforts to expand geothermal power production to support low-carbon development through a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), focusing on the challenges of private sector mobilization and the lessons learned during the NAMA's development.

This briefing describes the development of a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) by the Government of Kenya to accelerate the expansion of geothermal power. The NAMA aims to mobilize private investment to support the country's low-carbon development goals, specifically targeting an increase in geothermal capacity to 5,000 MW by 2030. The document details the institutional challenges faced during the NAMA's creation, including stakeholder buy-in, financial partner engagement, and the difficulty of demonstrating 'additionality' in a sector already receiving significant investment.

This research paper by Natural Justice examines the dynamics of community-company engagements in the extractive industries, focusing on the power imbalances between corporations and indigenous or local communities. It outlines various types of agreements, evaluates the effectiveness of different engagement models (government-led vs. community-led), and provides a comprehensive overview of international human rights standards and legal frameworks that govern these interactions.

This research paper examines legal gaps in the international criminal justice system, specifically regarding the obligation of states to exercise national jurisdiction and the lack of a horizontal framework for interstate cooperation. It assesses two intergovernmental initiatives—the International Law Commission (ILC) study on crimes against humanity and the Belgium, Slovenia, and Netherlands (BSN) initiative—aimed at enhancing complementarity by establishing conventions for mutual legal assistance and the obligation to prosecute or extradite.

This research paper analyzes the 2014 Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACJHPR Amendment), specifically focusing on a provision that grants immunity from prosecution to serving African Union (AU) heads of state and senior officials. The author argues that this immunity provision is a symbolic reaction to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) focus on Africa and is contradictory to the AU's own constitutive principles and other regional agreements.

This October 2014 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes recent activities of the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on the role of the Panel of the Wise, continental counter-terrorism strategies, and political crises in South Sudan and Lesotho.

The document analyzes Kenya's regional diplomacy, characterizing it as historically conservative and reluctant to exercise political leadership despite economic strength. It highlights a shift toward 'hard power' via military intervention in Somalia and President Uhuru Kenyatta's pan-African pivot to counter ICC proceedings. It also details the strategic blunders and economic imbalances defining Kenya's relationship with South Africa.

This 2014 working paper by CDKN evaluates the integration of climate change into the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on dialogues in Colombia, Indonesia, and Kenya, it argues that while a stand-alone climate goal is necessary for political visibility and funding, climate objectives must also be mainstreamed across all goals to avoid siloing. The paper identifies gaps in the draft SDGs—particularly regarding health, education, and gender—and emphasizes the need for nationally relevant indicators, robust governance, and a shift toward private sector investment and public-private partnerships to achieve climate-resilient development.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the radicalisation and recruitment processes of al-Shabaab in Somalia. Based on interviews with 88 former fighters and seven off-the-record sources, the study identifies a complex interplay of religious identity, socio-economic hardship, and political instability as primary drivers for recruitment, while highlighting the critical role of peer influence and the organisation's sophisticated intelligence capabilities.

This research paper analyzes the potential costs and benefits for Ethiopia of joining the COMESA Free Trade Area (FTA). It finds that Ethiopia's infant manufacturing sector is not yet competitive and that joining the FTA could increase net unemployment. However, it notes that Ethiopia is successfully expanding economic cooperation in energy and transport with neighbors such as Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, and South Sudan, suggesting that bilateral relations may be more beneficial than formal trade liberalization.

This research paper introduces the Participatory Social Return on Investment (PSROI) framework, a bottom-up approach designed to cost and plan community-based adaptation (CBA) strategies in agriculture to ensure local needs align with institutional funding.

This report outlines a strategy and one-year work plan (2014-2015) for the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) to establish a platform for engaging the Government of Kenya on climate compatible development. It aims to position KEPSA as a leader in climate change by improving its analytical capacity, enhancing two-way communication with its membership, and leading private sector input into national policies such as the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) and the draft Climate Change Bill.

This research paper by Ivan Crouzel, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs in August 2014, examines the relationship between electoral processes and political instability in Africa. It argues that elections often become critical moments of tension because they are primarily viewed as a means of accessing state resources. The author advocates for a shift from purely technical electoral support to a broader approach based on inclusive political settlements, multi-actor dialogue, and the strengthening of credible electoral management bodies and domestic observation networks to ensure legitimacy and peace.