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The report evaluates global security threats under two warming scenarios: a 'Near Term' scenario (1-2°C) and a 'Medium-Long Term' scenario (2-4+°C). It concludes that even low levels of warming present high to very high risks, while higher warming levels pose catastrophic and potentially irreversible threats to global stability. The analysis is structured around U.S. Geographic Combatant Command areas, detailing how climate-induced physical shocks and social tensions act as threat multipliers that can lead to state failure, resource conflict, and the breakdown of international alliances.

The report finds that kerosene subsidies in Bangladesh are largely ineffective, as official price cuts are not passed to consumers and many poor households remain unaware of the subsidies. While women are primarily exposed to the health risks of kerosene and biomass cooking, men dominate energy purchasing and decision-making. The study suggests that instead of reforming the kerosene subsidy, the government should shift support toward clean energy alternatives like solar PV and grid electricity, which 69% of households believe would most benefit women.

The report finds that kerosene subsidies in Nigeria were largely ineffective, as most low-income households paid significantly above the official price and women faced long queues and safety risks from adulterated fuel. The 2016 removal of these subsidies further strained women's budgets, pushing many in rural areas back toward biomass for cooking, which increases exposure to indoor air pollution and time spent collecting wood. While women often control daily energy choices, men typically own the electronic appliances. The report recommends against returning to kerosene or LPG subsidies, suggesting instead a shift toward technology-neutral clean cooking support and social protection programs targeted at female heads of households.

The report analyzes the services sector's role in African development and the implications of the AfCFTA. It identifies Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria as the continent's largest services exporters. The study highlights a significant gap in comprehensive services trade data, particularly for Mode 3 (commercial presence), and recommends implementing the 2010 Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services. For South Africa, the report finds that services value added in gross exports is more than double the share of services exports, emphasizing the sector's role as an input for manufacturing. It argues for a developmental trade strategy that integrates services with industrial policy and warns against premature deindustrialization.

Friends of the Earth International assesses the draft post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, acknowledging some progress in governance but condemning the lack of corporate accountability, the absence of indigenous rights, and the promotion of 'false solutions' like biodiversity offsetting. The organization calls for a systemic shift that addresses the root causes of biodiversity loss and ensures equity between the Global North and South.

The document evaluates the application of the SEI Tandem framework through a two-year project in Edem Ani, Enugu State, Nigeria. It identifies gaps in local climate information, such as the lack of soil maps and meteorological equipment, and suggests improvements to the framework, including better identification of beneficiaries and increased focus on policy coherence across government levels.

The document examines the evolution of investment facilitation discussions at the WTO, from the early 'Singapore issues' to the current structured discussions involving 98 members. It analyzes a July 2019 working document that proposes a framework focused on transparency, administrative simplification, and international cooperation, while explicitly excluding market access, investment protection, and investor-state dispute settlement. The report also discusses the potential legal forms of such an agreement—whether as a standalone accord or a plurilateral agreement—and the broader institutional challenges facing the WTO, such as the crisis in the Appellate Body and debates over special and differential treatment.

The document examines the efforts of 98 WTO Members to establish a multilateral framework for investment facilitation. It traces the issue from the 'Singapore issues' of the 1990s to the 2017 Joint Ministerial Statement in Buenos Aires. The brief analyzes the July 2019 Working Document, which proposes articles on transparency, administrative streamlining, non-discrimination, and special and differential treatment, while explicitly excluding market access and investor-state dispute settlement.

The document argues that while large youth cohorts are not inherently a security threat, they increase the risk of armed conflict and terrorism when combined with high unemployment, poor governance, and economic marginalization. In the Sahel, particularly Mali, these demographic pressures, coupled with environmental degradation and resource scarcity, create conditions where disenfranchised youth are more susceptible to recruitment by terrorist groups. The author recommends a holistic approach focusing on demographic policies to lower fertility and political and economic reforms to boost youth employment, rather than relying solely on military solutions.

The document examines the AU's struggle to implement the 2014 Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, noting that only seven of 55 member states had ratified it by October 2019. It compares the AU's approach to the EU's role as a 'norm entrepreneur' through regulations like the GDPR and the Cybersecurity Act. The author highlights Mauritius as a continental best practice for holistic national cyber strategy and recommends that the AU adopt 'Agile Governance Principles', engage more with civil society, and establish a continental body similar to the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA).

The paper analyzes the role of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in Africa, focusing on their ability to manage resource revenues and combat the 'resource curse'. Through case studies of Angola, Botswana, Ghana, and Nigeria, it finds that while some funds have strong legal frameworks, their success is heavily dependent on the country's overarching fiscal culture and the presence of independent oversight. The author argues that SWFs cannot operate in isolation and must be integrated into broader public financial management reforms to prevent political misuse and ensure long-term sustainability.

The document examines a two-year project in Nigeria aimed at strengthening the capacity of farmers and government officials to use climate information for agricultural decision-making. By applying the Tandem framework retrospectively, the author identifies the need to distinguish between direct users (farmers) and institutional users (government, NGOs), and suggests that co-production processes should explicitly address the costs of short-term coping strategies and the potential opportunities arising from climate change. The analysis emphasizes improving vertical and horizontal policy coordination across different levels of government to enhance the effectiveness of climate services.

The report details how the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) integrates gender equality into climate change obligations through General Recommendations, joint statements, and State reporting. It highlights the Committee's focus on disaster risk reduction, the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls, and the necessity of women's active participation in climate policy. The document analyzes CEDAW's Concluding Observations from 2008 to 2019, noting a high volume of recommendations for Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, primarily focusing on adaptation and procedural rights, while also issuing specific mitigation demands regarding fossil fuel extraction and fracking.

The report finds that while renewable energy investment reached USD 322 billion in 2018, it must almost triple to USD 800 billion by 2050 to meet climate goals. Investment is heavily concentrated in China, the US, and Western Europe, with a dominance of solar PV and onshore wind. The private sector provides 86% of capital, primarily through project developers. Off-grid renewables, though growing, represent less than 1% of total energy access finance, with Sub-Saharan Africa as the primary destination.

The report identifies significant long-term financing gaps in Côte d’Ivoire's infrastructure, housing, and SME sectors, driven by a reliance on short-term bank lending and government borrowing that crowds out the private sector. Key hurdles include the lack of registered real estate for collateral, inadequate PPP frameworks, and a fragmented regional capital market. The document recommends structural reforms to land titling, the diversification of institutional investor mandates, and the strengthening of the national PPP unit to mobilize domestic and private capital.

The Islamic Finance Toolkit provides a comprehensive overview of Shariah-compliant financial systems, detailing key contracts, the global industry landscape, and specific strategies for integrating Islamic finance into African economies. It identifies significant underdevelopment in Africa—where the region holds only 1% of global Islamic banking assets despite housing 27% of the world's Muslim population—and offers a framework of eleven recommendations covering legal, tax, and regulatory reforms to unlock the potential of Sukuk, Takaful, and Islamic fintech.

The report finds that donors must double their current annual contributions to food security, adding 14 billion USD per year, while low- and middle-income countries must provide an additional 19 billion USD annually through taxes. These combined investments of 33 billion USD per year would prevent 490 million people from hunger and double the incomes of 545 million smallholders. The analysis emphasizes that Africa has the highest need for these funds and recommends a balanced investment strategy across three categories: enabling inclusion, on-farm productivity, and post-harvest food systems.

The report finds that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) targets by 2030 requires an additional 33 billion USD per year in public spending. This total is split between an additional 14 billion USD from international donors and 19 billion USD from low- and middle-income countries through increased taxation. These investments, focused heavily on Africa, would prevent 490 million people from suffering from hunger and double the incomes of 545 million small-scale producers while adhering to Paris Agreement climate commitments. The proposed funding is distributed across three intervention categories: empowering the excluded, on-farm productivity, and food movement.

The report finds that donors must provide an additional USD 14 billion per year, and low- and middle-income countries must provide USD 19 billion per year, to achieve SDG 2 targets by 2030 while respecting climate commitments. This investment would prevent 490 million people from experiencing hunger and double the incomes of 545 million small-scale producers. The authors emphasize that Africa has the greatest need for these resources and that a balanced portfolio of interventions—spanning social protection, on-farm productivity, and market access—is essential for success.

The document assesses the feasibility of dialogue between governments and violent extremist groups in the Lake Chad Basin based on a survey of 31 civil society organization representatives. While many respondents support exploring dialogue due to the failure of purely militarized responses, significant barriers exist, including deep mistrust, unclear extremist motivations, and ideological conflicts regarding the implementation of Sharia law. The brief recommends that governments conduct further research into actor motivations and initiate nationwide discussions to secure community buy-in.