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This November 2018 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes recent activities of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on institutional reforms led by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, political instability in Somalia, the 2018 elections in Madagascar, and the fragile peace process in South Sudan.

This report examines the intersection of gender and migration in South Africa, arguing that current migration policies are largely gender-neutral or geared toward men, which increases the vulnerability of women migrants. Through focus groups and interviews with mixed migrant women in the Western Cape, the study highlights the 'triple discrimination' of xenophobia, racism, and misogyny faced by African women migrants, and calls for rights-based, gender-sensitive policy reforms.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the interactions between energy transition and agricultural transformation in Rwanda. Using scenario modelling up to 2050, the authors identify critical resource competition hotspots—particularly regarding water, land, and biomass—and argue that a lack of coordinated planning between sectors threatens the country's sustainable development goals and ecosystem preservation.

This case study by FSD Africa examines the remittance landscape in Uganda, identifying it as a net recipient of remittances with significant inflows from the UK, South Sudan, and Rwanda. While the market is advanced, it faces high costs, significant informality, and regulatory hurdles, particularly regarding mobile money and KYC requirements.

This policy brief examines the opportunities and challenges of integrating women into the renewable energy (RE) value chain in Africa, with a specific focus on case studies from Rwanda and South Africa. It argues that while RE offers a unique chance to move away from the non-gender-aware patterns of traditional energy sectors, significant barriers remain in leadership, financing, and education.

This report by BFA for FSD Africa examines the financial needs and economic enablers of forcibly displaced people (FDPs) in Rwanda. It analyzes the barriers preventing financial service providers (FSPs) from serving refugees, such as unclear Know-Your-Customer (KYC) requirements and perceived credit risks, while highlighting the potential for business growth through improved documentation, mobility, and targeted credit products.

The September 2018 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines challenges to democracy in Africa, the complexities of peace initiatives in the Central African Republic, political instability in Lesotho, the fragile peace deal in South Sudan, and the ongoing evolution of the African Standby Force.

This WRI briefing argues that the distinction between climate adaptation and traditional development is a false dichotomy that hinders the effective use of scarce finance. The authors advocate for 'doing development differently' by integrating a strong climate rationale into all development planning, building national adaptive capacity, and empowering local stakeholders through devolved decision-making to ensure long-term resilience.

This research paper examines the establishment and potential implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), signed on 21 March 2018. It analyzes the projected economic gains, the challenges posed by varying levels of national development, and the political and technical hurdles that may impede the creation of a continent-wide free trade area.

This policy brief evaluates the African Union's (AU) 2017 theme, 'Harnessing the Demographic Dividend Through Investments in Youth.' While acknowledging the existence of frameworks like the African Youth Charter and initiatives such as the YouthConnekt Africa Summit, the authors argue that significant gaps remain in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of youth policies. The paper emphasizes that the AU lacks the power to enforce policies on member states, making the domestication of regional instruments into national law essential for meaningful youth empowerment and political inclusion.

This report details the narratives, data, and assumptions used by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) to model development and climate scenarios for Rwanda up to 2050. Using the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) and Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) tools, the authors co-created three primary pathways—reference, pessimistic, and optimistic—to explore the synergies and trade-offs between agricultural transformation and energy transition.

This report from the Institute for Security Studies provides a retrospective of the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the term April 2016 to March 2018, analyzes the role of South Africa and Nigeria in continental initiatives like the AfCFTA, and features an interview with Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding its entry into the PSC.

This report analyzes the effectiveness of peer learning and peer pressure within three Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives (MSIs): the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). It evaluates how these initiatives use mutual dialogue, best practices, and sanctions to improve governance, transparency, and accountability among member states.

This report by BFA for FSD Africa assesses the demand for and business case for providing formal financial services to refugees in Rwanda. It concludes that refugees are a viable customer segment with income levels and profitability potential comparable to typical low-income Rwandan nationals, provided that financial service providers (FSPs) utilize cross-selling strategies and regulatory hurdles regarding identification are addressed.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of infrastructure banks in closing the global infrastructure financing gap. It analyzes best practices from various international institutions and provides eight strategic recommendations for countries establishing their own infrastructure banks to mobilize private capital and promote sustainable development.

The African Borrowing Charter (2018), published by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), is a policy framework designed to prevent unsustainable public debt accumulation in Africa. It establishes guiding principles for debt contraction, management, and transparency, while proposing a robust legal framework and a Fiscal Responsibility Act to ensure that borrowing supports inclusive development and protects future generations.

The 2018 Progress Assessment Goal 5 Update evaluates global efforts to restore degraded landscapes and forestlands under the Bonn Challenge and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement. It reports that Bonn Challenge pledges have reached 168.9 million hectares, surpassing the initial 2020 milestone of 150 million hectares, although measuring actual implementation remains a significant challenge.

This case study examines Tanzania's difficulties in establishing horizontal linkages within its mining sector, focusing on the failures of its National System of Innovation (NSI) and the complexities of the Central Development Corridor (CDC) infrastructure project.

The 2018 Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE) report provides a global inventory of policies and regulations supporting Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), focusing on electricity access, clean cooking, energy efficiency, and renewable energy across 133 economies from 2010 to 2017.

This policy brief examines the challenges of managing natural resources in three Rwandan districts—Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe—amidst national goals to modernize agriculture and increase energy output. It highlights a critical tension between national development targets and local resource scarcity, particularly regarding water and woody biomass, and recommends tailored local actions supported by national policy and financial incentives to ensure sustainable growth.