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The policy brief examines the intersection of migrant integration and development contributions, specifically focusing on the Norwegian experience. It argues that while diaspora members engage in development and remittance-sending largely independently of government policy, the quality of their integration—including their economic stability and legal security—significantly influences their capacity to contribute. The authors critique the current fragmentation of migration, integration, and development policies, noting that some security-focused narratives regarding remittances can stigmatize these contributions. The brief recommends recognizing diaspora initiatives as transnational civic engagement and reducing remittance costs to enhance development outcomes.

The statement argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for governments to focus all resources on public health, specifically the procurement of medical supplies, vaccines, and medicines. It calls for the immediate suspension of trade and investment negotiations at the WTO, bilateral, and regional levels, asserting that such activities divert critical resources and personnel. The authors highlight that intellectual property rules under the WTO's TRIPS agreement and free trade agreements may obstruct the affordability and accessibility of life-saving supplies. The document demands the removal of all trade barriers and unilateral sanctions that hinder medical procurement and urges a fundamental rethink of trade rules that encourage monopolies and limit healthcare access.

Friends of the Earth International and a broad coalition of global endorsers call for an immediate cessation of trade and investment treaty negotiations. They argue that governments, particularly in developing and least developed countries, lack the resources to engage in these negotiations while managing the COVID-19 health crisis. The statement demands that trade negotiators focus exclusively on removing obstacles, such as intellectual property rules and unilateral sanctions, that hinder access to affordable vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics.

The Institute for Economic Justice argues that South Africa's initial R41 billion COVID-19 rescue package is insufficient and proposes a more realistic injection of at least R310 billion, plus R100 billion in short-term financing. The proposal focuses on four main spending areas: health funding (R20 billion), income support (R211.5 billion), wage guarantees (R60 billion), and business support (R150 billion). To fund this, the IEJ suggests a combination of short-term borrowing, utilizing the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) surplus, issuing 'social solidarity bonds', and implementing a solidarity tax on high earners. The plan also includes measures to stabilize the economy, such as managing capital flows and securing US Dollar swap lines.

The statement posits that global crises like COVID-19 and locust invasions serve as warnings that nature can bring the world to a standstill if environmental protection is not prioritized. It highlights that marginalized communities, including small-scale traders and farmers, are disproportionately affected by these catastrophes and existing climate and biodiversity pressures. The author advocates for mainstreaming sustainable development into governance through policy changes, long-term impact assessments, and participatory decision-making involving indigenous people, women, and youth.

The report outlines a four-step process—sector prioritization, landscape assessment, barrier identification, and intervention execution—to unlock private climate finance. Drawing from the International Climate Initiative Mobilizing Investment (IKI MI) program, it identifies common barriers such as unfavorable taxes, high capital costs, and a lack of proof points. It recommends that governments level the playing field by making low-carbon solutions commercially competitive against fossil-fuel alternatives and providing pilot projects to demonstrate business viability.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the most expensive region globally for remittances, with an average cost of 8.9% of transaction value. The report identifies critical supply-side barriers including onerous KYC requirements, lack of digital ecosystems, and fragmented payment infrastructure. It recommends a shift toward risk-proportional AML-CFT regulation, the adoption of digital identity systems, and the integration of regional payment rails to reduce informality and costs.

The African Union (AU) and Africa CDC reacted quickly to COVID-19, coordinating health responses and establishing an anti-COVID-19 fund. However, the pandemic has exacerbated security threats in West and Central Africa, where fighting against terrorism and internal conflicts continues despite global ceasefire calls. In the Horn of Africa, the virus has disrupted peace processes and created new instabilities, including the politicisation of response measures and the release of thousands of inmates. The report also highlights the extreme vulnerability of Africa's 25.2 million refugees and internally displaced persons, warning that border closures may increase irregular migration and transmission risks.

The document argues that off-grid solar (OGS) is a critical tool for achieving universal energy access and climate mitigation, particularly by replacing kerosene lamps and reducing black carbon emissions. Despite this, multilateral climate finance institutions have invested only a small fraction of the total capital deployed in the sector. The briefing identifies barriers such as the complexity of projects that combine mitigation, adaptation, and development, as well as a focus on large-scale projects. It recommends strategies including increased concessional financing for early-stage businesses, expanded use of blended finance to attract commercial equity, and the development of a uniform methodology to quantify the climate benefits of OGS, specifically regarding black carbon.

The document examines how COVID-19 exposes weaknesses in global institutions and threatens Africa through economic shocks, reduced development aid, and a retreat from multilateralism. It highlights the risk of increased trade protectionism and the potential for climate goals to be sidelined. The author advocates for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the creation of a continental climate finance fund, and a proactive African role in reforming global governance to mitigate these risks.

Acacia Innovations produces Kuni Safi, non-carbonized briquettes made from sugarcane waste, to replace wood fuel and charcoal in Kenyan schools and small businesses. Since 2016, the company has served over 350 schools across 20 counties, selling more than 4,000 tons of briquettes and saving an estimated 100,000 trees. The company also manufactures portable, institutional energy-saving cookstoves. These solutions aim to reduce deforestation, lower school meal budgets, and improve health outcomes for cooks and students by eliminating smoke-related illnesses.

The project proposes a USD 45 million intervention to restore 50,648 hectares of degraded land and support land-based enterprises in four Kenyan counties. It aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 7.1 million tCO2eq and benefit 57,250 direct beneficiaries through climate-smart agriculture, reforestation, and the creation of 25,000 green jobs. The initiative focuses on three main components: enhancing climate-smart land practices, transforming rural livelihoods via green enterprises, and improving policy and climate information systems.

The author contends that nationalistic responses to Covid-19 are insufficient and that the G20, chaired by Saudi Arabia, should convene to coordinate fiscal, monetary, and scientific efforts. The text emphasizes the vulnerability of Africa's public health systems and calls for the establishment of a global medical stockpiles reserve to address long-term health inequality and supply chain failures.

FSD Africa is adapting its operations to the COVID-19 pandemic by curtailing travel, closing its Nairobi offices to visitors, and shifting technical support to virtual delivery. The organization intends to review its strategy to address pandemic-related challenges and explore how the financial system can help mitigate current and future disasters.

The document details public consultations in Garissa County regarding the re-alignment of the Lokichar to Lamu Crude Oil Pipeline (LLCOP) to avoid Kenya Defence Force (KDF) barracks at Modikare. Stakeholders raised concerns over land ownership, compensation for community-owned land without title deeds, the impact on grazing lands and acacia trees, and the environmental effects of pipeline heating and generator emissions. The project team clarified that the pipeline is a closed system, will be buried to allow grazing, and that land acquisition is a separate process managed by the National Land Commission (NLC).

The document details a stakeholder meeting in Garissa County regarding the re-routing of the Lokichar to Lamu Crude Oil Pipeline (LLCOP) to avoid Kenya Defence Force barracks. Key discussions centered on the technical specifications of pipeline stations, the use of fuel generators and their emissions, land acquisition processes for pastoralist communities, and the environmental impact of subterranean heating on plant germination.

Natural Justice proposes several amendments to Kenya's 2007 Controlled Substances Regulations to strengthen the management of ozone-depleting substances. Key recommendations include requiring the list of controlled substances to be reviewed every 3 to 5 years, increasing transparency through the gazetting of licensing decisions and public access to registers, and enhancing accountability by reporting accidental disposals to the Ozone Secretariat and NEMA within 24 hours. The organization also advocates for the removal of exemptions for controlled substances, the introduction of monetary fines for illegal procurement, and the expansion of deposit bonds to manufacturers, exporters, and importers to prevent environmental damage.

The report identifies a significant 'Valley of Death' between the production of climate science and its practical application in resilience and adaptation. While short-term forecasting is generally accurate and used, decadal information is urgently needed but largely unavailable, leading some practitioners to misuse long-term projections. The study argues that a 'science-first' approach is ineffective and recommends that the CLARE programme adopt a user-driven, transdisciplinary structure that prioritizes co-production, capacity building for 'discerning users', and the development of knowledge brokers to bridge the gap between scientists and decision-makers.

The document argues that formal land titles are often used as a proxy for tenure security but frequently fail to provide women with actual control over land due to discriminatory laws, customary norms, and lack of access to resources. It highlights that individual titling can conflict with indigenous collective tenure systems and may even lead to dispossession. To achieve genuine security, the author recommends gender-equitable normative frameworks, the inclusion of women in land governance, and ancillary support such as technical training and credit access.

The Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) baseline survey analyzes the demographics, income sources, and financial instrument usage of refugees and host communities across several Ugandan settlements, including Nakivale, Bidibidi, and Palorinya. It identifies a high reliance on informal savings and credit mechanisms, such as ASCAs and ROSCAs, and a significant shift toward mobile money usage after displacement. The report also outlines the specific implementation strategies of partner financial service providers—Equity Bank Uganda Limited, VisionFund Uganda, and the Rural Finance Initiative—to increase access to bank accounts, wholesale credit, and digitized savings products for these underserved populations.