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The report examines the application of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to improve fund transfers in emerging markets, distinguishing between public DLT (like Bitcoin) for consumer remittances and private DLT for inter-institutional clearing and settlement. It argues that while public DLT can bypass traditional intermediaries, it faces hurdles in liquidity and 'costs at the edge'. Conversely, private DLT offers a more secure and scalable model for financial institutions to settle obligations domestically or internationally, potentially reducing entry barriers and enhancing KYC/AML processes.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to establish a 'Compact with Africa' during her 2017 G20 presidency to foster genuine partnerships based on agreed goals and performance standards. The initiative aims to create stable investment environments for infrastructure development while addressing mutual responsibilities in migration, corruption, and counter-terrorism. Key priorities for the compact's success include funding the Green Climate Fund to help African nations adapt to global warming, curbing illicit financial flows—estimated by the AU/UN to exceed $50 billion annually—and utilizing the African Peer Review Mechanism for governance monitoring. The document notes that US reluctance toward multilateralism under Donald Trump complicates these efforts, particularly regarding famine relief and climate finance.

The guide outlines five essential building blocks for green bond markets: the enabling environment, investors, issuers and project pipeline, governance, and definitions and standards. It emphasizes that while public sector support is often needed initially, a successful market must eventually become self-sustaining, diverse in its environmental objectives, and transparent in its reporting. The document provides practical frameworks for policymakers to assess their market's readiness and offers case studies from China, India, and Nigeria to illustrate effective policy incentives and issuance strategies.

The report examines the 'art' of market facilitation through the experience of the FSD Network in Sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that effective facilitation requires a shift from traditional project-based delivery to a systemic approach that addresses root causes of market failure. Key success factors identified include the use of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for operational flexibility, the maintenance of technical credibility and neutrality, and the use of results chains for adaptive management. The document highlights the critical importance of understanding political economy and partner incentives, noting that technical solutions often fail when they ignore underlying social or political dynamics.

The document traces South Africa's fiscal history, detailing how British colonial authorities introduced direct taxes like the Hut Tax in 1849 to raise revenue and force African men into wage labour. It examines the evolution of the tax state through the Union of South Africa, the apartheid era's regressive policies, and the post-1994 transition to a modern, integrated system under the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

The document highlights a strong correlation between high energy efficiency scores in the RISE index and high rankings in the Ease of Doing Business among the top twenty high-impact countries. It identifies dedicated entities and specific measures like minimum energy performance standards and building codes as essential for implementing energy efficiency, while noting that Nigeria exhibits both low energy efficiency scores and a low Doing Business rank.

The report assesses executive education in the Sub-Saharan African financial sector, finding that while it generally improves employee skills and organisational prestige, there is a significant gap between theoretical teaching and practical application. It recommends a shift toward 'action-learning' and the establishment of specialised regional training hubs.

The report finds that the UK-to-Africa remittance market is heavily cash-based, with cash-to-cash transfers accounting for approximately 90% of flows. While digital MTOs and payment hubs offer more competitive pricing, their impact is limited by a 'stickiness of cash' among UK migrants and a lack of digital payment infrastructure and formal identification in African receive markets. The authors argue that digitising the entire value chain is the only way to significantly drive down costs. Key recommendations for donors include researching consumer behavior in the UK, promoting non-cash transfers, piloting access for UK providers to the SADC Integrated Regional Settlement System (SIRESS), and supporting the expansion of remittance hubs in FCAS.

The report assesses Mozambique's development outlook to 2040, arguing that while natural gas production will drive significant GDP growth from the mid-2020s, it will not automatically reduce absolute poverty without concerted investments in human capital and governance. Using scenario analysis, the authors demonstrate that integrated pushes in family planning, health, education, agriculture, and governance can significantly reduce extreme poverty and infant mortality, whereas stalled development and delayed gas production could lead to a sharp increase in the number of people living in extreme poverty.

The document argues that while Africa has immense renewable energy potential, its transition to a low-carbon economy is hindered by fragmented governance, inadequate investment, and a reliance on hydrocarbon assets that risk becoming 'stranded'. It highlights the specific challenges in West Africa, where over 57% of the population lacks electricity access despite abundant solar, wind, and hydro resources. Using Nigeria as a case study, the briefing notes a trend toward decentralized solar projects in universities and businesses, but warns that these must be integrated into national grids to avoid inefficient clusters. The authors recommend that African governments prioritize robust, adapted technologies and align country-level actions with regional visions to build climate resilience.

The paper examines Tanzania's strategic potential as a maritime hub, focusing on the Dar es Salaam Port and the Central and Dar es Salaam corridors. It highlights significant infrastructure deficits, particularly in the rail sector, and evaluates the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and foreign direct investment (FDI) in bridging the finance gap. The author argues that while port upgrades are progressing, the dilapidated state of railways undermines regional competitiveness. The document concludes with recommendations to prioritise the repair of existing narrow-gauge railways, improve PPP management, and implement targeted strategies to ensure that infrastructure investments translate into local skills transfer and employment.

The document examines the governance of Africa's extractive sectors, arguing that while the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) provides a valuable multi-stakeholder framework for revenue transparency, it must be complemented by national laws and regional cooperation to ensure true accountability. It highlights the gap between revenue disclosure and social spending, the challenges of beneficial ownership transparency, and the impact of political will on implementation. Case studies of Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia illustrate the varied success of institutionalising transparency and the persistent issues of reporting delays and exclusionary governance.

Scott Vaughan argues that ending hunger and extreme poverty is essential for achieving the SDGs, requiring an additional USD 11 billion in annual public spending until 2030. He emphasizes the need for improved irrigation efficiency, climate-resilient agriculture, and the reform of trade and investment policies to protect global food security from climate risks and protectionism.

The document assesses the threat of violent extremism in South Africa, concluding that while the overall risk of a major attack is low, the country remains vulnerable to 'lone wolf' incidents and the use of its infrastructure as a base for international extremists. It details the history of far-right groups like the AWB and Boeremag, the militant activities of Pagad in the 1990s, and recent concerns regarding South Africans joining ISIS. The brief highlights systemic vulnerabilities such as government corruption and porous borders, while recommending a focus on youth engagement, social cohesion, and improved intelligence capabilities.

The document assesses the financial links between natural resource extraction and violent extremism in Africa, finding that while the LRA relies heavily on ivory and the Janjaweed on gold, al-Shabaab primarily funds itself through charcoal taxation, and Boko Haram derives little to no revenue from resource extraction.

The report argues that while vertical economic inequality is at an all-time high globally, horizontal inequality (inequality between groups) has declined significantly over the last 30 years. It finds that horizontal inequalities—particularly economic and political disparities affecting deprived groups—are stronger predictors of armed conflict than vertical inequalities. The authors emphasize that perceived inequality often diverges from objective data and is a critical driver of violence. While political institutional reforms and territorial autonomy show some success in preventing or ending conflict, economic policies have a mixed record. The report concludes with a call for better data on perceptions and a more rigorous analysis of policy outcomes.

The report analyzes how international anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) standards, primarily those from the FATF, affect financial inclusion. It highlights the trend of 'de-risking'—where banks wholesale cut off high-risk markets like Somalia—as an unintended consequence of these regulations. The author argues for a shift toward a Risk-Based Approach (RBA) and the adoption of biometric digital identities to ensure the 'unbanked' do not become 'unbankable'.

The document provides a detailed analysis of energy access and efficiency across high-impact countries, highlighting a significant gap between urban and rural electrification and the critical role of enabling policy frameworks. It reports that 3.04 billion people lacked clean cooking access in 2014 and 1.06 billion lacked electricity. While some countries like India, Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda show strong policy support for energy access, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the least electrified region with underdeveloped policy environments. The report also examines energy efficiency and renewable energy, noting that while renewable energy targets are nearly universal, energy efficiency mandates often lag, particularly in developing nations.

The statement highlights the systemic challenges faced by women and transgender environmental activists, including the intersection of patriarchy, capitalism, and environmental destruction. Activists from various regions report that gender-based oppressions—such as the sexual division of work, lack of funding for women-led campaigns, and state persecution—hinder environmental activism. Conversely, the document emphasizes the growing international solidarity among women and queer activists who are integrating food sovereignty and anti-fossil fuel efforts with the dismantling of patriarchal systems.

The report introduces Integrated Energy Productivity (IEP), a metric that expands the traditional economic definition of energy productivity to include social and environmental benefits, weighed against fossil fuel energy inputs. Analyzing data from 2012 to 2014 for seven IFIs—ADB, EBRD, EIB, IDB, KfW/DEG, OPIC, and the World Bank—the study finds that while most energy investments are IEP-positive or relevant, energy efficiency projects are significantly underfunded, representing only 14% of energy portfolios. The report identifies a lack of standardized IEP targets across IFIs and recommends mainstreaming energy efficiency through operational safeguards and a joint IFI framework for tracking impact.