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The paper investigates the impact of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on governance in Africa by comparing Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) scores between 2003 and 2015 for reviewed members, non-reviewed members, and non-members. It finds that while APRM members generally performed better than non-members, there is no significant difference in progress between those who underwent a full review and those who merely joined. The author suggests this indicates a 'self-selection' bias where states already inclined toward reform join the APRM, rather than the mechanism itself causing the improvement. The paper also notes a trend where economic and corporate governance gains often occur alongside stagnant or declining political freedoms, specifically citing Rwanda and Mali as contrasting case studies.

Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) issued a declaration condemning the Mozambican government for the illegal deportation of Eva Anadón Moreno, a member of the World March of Women's International Secretariat. The action followed a March 18, 2016, protest in Maputo against a Ministry of Education policy requiring female students to wear ankle-length skirts to avoid 'provoking' male teachers. FOEI reports that police used physical force and weapons against activists, arrested five individuals without proof of crime, and employed racist tactics to divide the detainees. The document characterizes these actions as an attempt to criminalize legal protest and intimidate social movements.

The document examines the complexities of land tenure in Africa, highlighting the tension between customary and statutory systems. It argues that while formal titling is a long-term goal, the immediate priority should be adapting informal systems to provide legal security, improving state administrative capacity, and addressing gender-based barriers to land ownership to foster economic development and reduce conflict.

This research paper analyzes the state of constitutionalism and civil liberties across Africa by examining African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Country Review Reports for 12 countries. It categorizes these nations based on Freedom House rankings and identifies systemic challenges to freedom, including executive dominance and securitization.

The report examines 'constitutional liberalism' in Africa, focusing on the gap between formal democratic structures and the actual protection of civil liberties. Using APRM data and Freedom House rankings, it categorizes countries as 'free', 'partly free', or 'not free', identifying executive dominance, securitisation, and administrative dysfunction as primary barriers to freedom.

The report analyzes base metal beneficiation in Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia, comparing their outcomes with the successful industrial policies of Japan and China. It argues that China's state-led expansion of smelting and refining capacity has caused a 'Great Compression' of margins, making autonomous beneficiation in Africa commercially unattractive. The study concludes that African countries can only succeed in beneficiation through comprehensive industrial policies and strategic partnerships, particularly with Chinese state-owned enterprises.

The document provides a framework for FSD programmes to move beyond basic accountability indicators in logframes toward a system that measures systemic market change. It recommends integrating IOM into strategy development, investment decisions, and annual reviews, while advocating for a collaborative partnership with an independent learning partner to balance rigour with operational learning.

The document provides a framework for FSD programmes to set up an Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) system. It details a two-step process for 'Stage 1: Clarity of Purpose', which involves ensuring the programme's Theory of Change (ToC) is evaluable and developing specific impact measurement questions. The guide emphasizes the importance of 'nesting' project-level results chains within thematic and overall programme ToCs to capture systemic change and avoid overstating causal contributions. It also introduces 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' approaches to measuring impact, ranging from high-level economic growth to direct intervention effects.

The document outlines a methodology for FSD programmes to move beyond traditional project-level monitoring toward an Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) system. It emphasizes the need to bridge the evidence gap between direct project outputs and long-term market changes by tracking intermediate progress indicators, systemic changes (such as adoption, scaling, and replication), and top-down sector trends. The guide advocates for a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from sources like FinScope with qualitative narrative reporting to capture complex market dynamics and resilience.

The document outlines a two-step process for measuring change in financial sector development: assessing causality and contribution (Step 5) and developing a research agenda (Step 6). It emphasizes a pragmatic, evidence-based approach to attribution, acknowledging that FSDs act as market facilitators and cannot claim full credit for changes. The guide details 'bottom-up' (intervention-focused) and 'top-down' (sector-level) analysis, offering a menu of methodologies ranging from light-touch monitoring and theory-based approaches (e.g., contribution analysis, outcome harvesting) to rigorous quantitative statistical methods (e.g., experimental and quasi-experimental designs). It also defines the role of research in filling knowledge gaps, informing strategy, and contributing to global learning on the links between financial inclusion, economic growth, and poverty reduction.

The document introduces the Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) framework, designed to help Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programmes move beyond traditional monitoring of outputs toward measuring medium-to-long-term systemic changes in financial markets. It advocates for a 'sweet spot' between monitoring and evaluation, utilizing a Theory of Change (ToC) to track causal pathways. The framework employs a dual 'bottom-up' (project-centric) and 'top-down' (sector-wide) approach to evidence collection, emphasizing the need to measure systemic change—defined as transformations in market structures or dynamics that benefit large numbers of poor people. It provides a seven-step implementation process, ranging from ensuring the ToC is evaluable to developing a credible contribution narrative, and suggests a mixed-methods approach to data collection and causality analysis.

The document examines the complex hybrid of customary and statutory landholding systems across Africa, utilizing data from the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It highlights that while weak property rights hinder economic growth and agricultural productivity, the administrative costs and institutional limitations of full formal titling make it an impractical immediate solution. Instead, the author proposes a gradual approach: strengthening informal tenure security, improving state administrative capacity through computerization, and investing in rural infrastructure to boost land value and productivity.

The document examines the systemic overlap between political party officials, government officials, and the business sector in Mozambique, a phenomenon termed 'interwovenness'. It argues that the ruling party, Frelimo, has captured state power, leading to a culture of patronage and cronyism where state resources are exploited for party interests. While Mozambique has established various anti-corruption laws and institutions, such as the GCCC and the Law on Public Integrity, the brief contends that these are poorly implemented due to a lack of political will and the influence of Frelimo over the legislature and judiciary. The author highlights specific vulnerabilities in the extractive industries and foreign investment contracts, which are exempt from public procurement transparency rules. The brief recommends that the government publicise extractive industry concessions, that civil society increase its monitoring of business deals, and that the APRM Panel of Eminent Persons push for the domestication of the AU Convention against Corruption.

This document is an official contribution from Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) to the second session of the UN open-ended intergovernmental working group (IGWG) in October 2016. It advocates for a legally binding international treaty to hold transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives accountable for human rights violations and environmental crimes, proposing the creation of a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights and a Public Centre for control. FoEI argues that the treaty must prioritize human rights over trade and investment agreements, specifically calling for the restriction of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms that undermine public health and environmental protections.

Friends of the Earth International's 2016 submission to the UN Intergovernmental Working Group advocates for a legally binding treaty to hold transnational corporations and their financiers civilly and criminally liable for human rights and environmental violations. The document proposes the creation of an international court, the primacy of human rights over investment treaties (including ISDS), and the establishment of a public monitoring center to prevent corporate capture of the regulatory process.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) argues for a legally binding UN Treaty that establishes civil and criminal liability for transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives. The submission emphasizes the need for a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights to overcome national judicial weaknesses and the 'pattern of impunity' enjoyed by corporations. FoEI specifically calls for the primacy of human rights over investment treaties, the elimination of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms that undermine public health and environmental policies, and the protection of the treaty negotiation process from corporate lobbying. The document supports these claims with case studies of corporate abuses in Nigeria, Brazil, Indonesia, and other regions.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) advocates for a legally binding UN treaty to end the systemic impunity of transnational corporations (TNCs). The submission argues that the treaty must establish civil and criminal liability for TNCs, their executives, and financiers across global supply chains. FoEI proposes the creation of an independent international court to judge environmental crimes and human rights abuses, emphasizing the need for a hierarchy where human rights obligations prevail over trade and investment agreements, specifically targeting the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism. The document highlights cases of corporate abuse in Nigeria, Brazil, Mozambique, and elsewhere to illustrate the failure of current voluntary standards and national judicial systems.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) advocates for a binding UN Treaty to end corporate impunity. The proposal emphasizes the need for direct legal obligations for transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives, the creation of a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights, and the primacy of human rights over investment treaties. FoEI highlights systemic failures in national courts and the harmful impact of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, calling for a process free from corporate lobbying that prioritizes the rights of affected communities and environmental defenders.

Namibia is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its extreme aridity and reliance on climate-dependent livelihoods, particularly in agriculture. While the government has established a National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and a National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (NCCSAP), adaptation is not yet meaningfully integrated into sectoral policies for water, health, and agriculture. Current adaptation projects are limited in number and primarily focus on agriculture and capacity building, with a significant gap in programming for health, tourism, and coastal zones. Adaptation finance is heavily dependent on international donors, with minimal domestic budget allocation.

Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding, and cyclones, leading the government to establish early adaptation frameworks like the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP). While the country has created dedicated institutions and funds, such as the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF), adaptation efforts have predominantly focused on large-scale infrastructure in coastal urban areas, often neglecting sectors like livestock and regions prone to drought. Despite being a major recipient of international climate finance, disbursement remains fragmented, and there is a significant gap between planned budgets and actual leveraged funds.