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The report assesses three multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs)—the APRM, OGP, and EITI—finding that while they provide platforms for transparency and civil society engagement, their ability to drive fundamental governance transformation is limited by varying levels of political will, uneven implementation, and challenges in measuring direct impact.

The report examines how civil society organizations (CSOs) engage with the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a multi-stakeholder initiative (MSI) designed to increase government transparency and civic participation. Through case studies of Georgia, South Africa, and Indonesia, the authors analyze the gap between the OGP's 'co-creation' aspirations and the reality of government dominance. Georgia is presented as a success story where a permanent multi-stakeholder forum fostered genuine partnership, while South Africa is characterized by tokenism and a lack of political will. Indonesia's experience is described as mixed, with active CSOs facing logistical hurdles and a restrictive political environment. The report concludes that while MSIs can open spaces for dialogue, their success depends on political commitment, institutional structures like permanent forums, and the ability of CSOs to form strategic coalitions.

Morocco re-joined the African Union on 30 January 2017 after a 33-year absence caused by the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The paper argues that Morocco used extensive economic diplomacy and bilateral agreements to secure support for its return, aiming to cement its leadership in Africa and eventually secure AU recognition of its control over Western Sahara. The author highlights a tension between Morocco's rhetoric of African unity and its history of border disputes, suggesting that the AU lacks a strategy to manage the agendas of powerful member states.

The report finds that refugees in Rwanda, particularly those with salaried jobs or self-employment, represent a viable and profitable market for financial service providers (FSPs). It highlights a strong demand for savings, transaction, and loan products, driven by the shift from food aid to cash-based transfers. However, the lack of government-issued ID cards creates a significant regulatory barrier for 'know your customer' (KYC) compliance. The report provides a dynamic business case model suggesting that the profitability of serving refugees is comparable to that of typical low-income Rwandan account holders, especially when cross-selling insurance and loan products.

The document highlights the persistent gender gap in financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa, where less than 30% of women hold financial institution accounts. It presents Savings Groups—member-owned collectives of 15-25 individuals—as a sustainable strategy to provide low-income women with access to savings, credit, and insurance. The FSD Network has invested over $28 million in these groups since 2008 across several African nations to bridge the gap between marginalized populations and formal financial services.

The IEU review finds that while the GCF's Results Management Framework (RMF) helps stakeholders focus on adaptation and mitigation, it suffers from critical flaws in its logic models, a lack of measurement protocols for indicators, and insufficient integration with national monitoring systems. A portfolio analysis of 74 approved projects revealed that 39% are missing at least one impact indicator for their targeted result areas, and 50% have no plans for baseline data collection. The review recommends that the GCF Secretariat develop theories of change for key thematic areas, establish clear measurement protocols, and better define the role of National Designated Authorities (NDAs) throughout the project cycle.

The report examines the 2018 African Union Peace and Security Council elections, noting a shift toward regional consensus and a decline in the average governance and democracy scores of member states. It details institutional reform struggles led by President Paul Kagame, specifically the contested transformation of Nepad into a development agency. Additionally, it analyzes the need for sanctions in South Sudan, the political deadlock in Togo, and the challenges of state absence in the Central African Republic.

The research examines the fragmented nature of migration regulation across three African regional economic communities (RECs)—SADC, EAC, and Comesa—and their integration into the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA). While the EAC has made significant progress in ratifying and implementing protocols for the free movement of labour and persons, SADC and Comesa suffer from low ratification rates and a tendency to treat economic migration as a national security threat. The document highlights that the TFTA, which covers 26 states with a combined GDP of $1.2 trillion, requires the removal of migration barriers to achieve its market integration goals. Case studies of Tanzania and Rwanda illustrate the tension between regional liberalisation and domestic protectionism, as well as the benefits of an economically driven migration policy. The authors argue that for the TFTA to succeed, RECs must move beyond a security-centric approach and link migration policies to economic imperatives.

The report identifies Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and East Asia as high-impact regions for clean energy investment, with a subset of eight countries offering over USD 360bn in potential by 2030. It argues that while clean energy costs are falling, private investment is hindered by off-taker, currency, and policy risks. The authors recommend shifting blended finance from covering viability gaps to providing risk-mitigation instruments like guarantees and local currency hedging, and creating liquid, tradable assets through securitization to attract institutional investors.

The document outlines a methodology for identifying high-impact clean energy markets in developing economies based on private sector attractiveness, energy access, and climate relevance. It identifies Tier 1 countries—including India, South Africa, Kenya, and Rwanda—and analyzes their specific investment barriers, such as off-taker risk in India and currency volatility in South Africa. Additionally, it provides case studies on blended finance structures, ranging from project-level interventions like the Lake Turkana Wind Farm to fund-of-funds like GEEREF, illustrating how concessional capital and guarantees are used to leverage private investment.

The paper analyzes various infrastructure banks, such as the European Investment Bank and the UK's Green Investment Bank, to identify effective financial instruments and operational models. It argues that infrastructure banks should prioritize financially viable, sustainable projects that offer high socioeconomic multipliers while avoiding the crowding out of private capital. Key recommendations include tapping capital markets, providing technical assistance for project preparation, and utilizing risk-sharing instruments to leverage limited public resources.

The African Borrowing Charter provides a framework for African states to balance public debt with the need for inclusive growth and public service delivery. It emphasizes transparency, parliamentary oversight, and the establishment of robust legal frameworks to prevent a recurrence of the debt crises seen in the 1970s-1990s. The Charter advocates for the creation of Public Debt Management Offices and the enactment of Fiscal Responsibility Acts to maintain macroeconomic stability and protect future generations from unsustainable debt burdens.

The 2018 Progress Assessment for Goal 5 indicates that Bonn Challenge pledges have reached 168.9 million hectares, surpassing the 2020 milestone in terms of pledges. However, actual implementation remains difficult to aggregate, with a five-country sample showing 13.4 million hectares under restoration. Analysis of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) reveals that while 127 of 165 NDCs include forest landscape restoration (FLR) commitments, only 30% are quantifiable. When combining official NDC targets with non-target ambitions, 114 million hectares are reflected, representing one third of the 2030 target.

The report highlights the South African agriculture sector as a robust investment environment, particularly in the Western Cape, which contributes 24% of the national agricultural GDP. It identifies key growth areas in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), drone technology for precision farming, and renewable energy, while emphasizing water scarcity as a primary driver for the adoption of these green technologies.

The document analyzes Tanzania's struggle to develop a National System of Innovation (NSI) and horizontal linkages due to low industrial capacity and skill shortages. It focuses on the Central Development Corridor (CDC), a logistics system connecting Dar es Salaam to the Great Lakes hinterland, highlighting how coordination failures, private sector concession collapses, and fluctuating mineral prices have delayed infrastructure progress. While recent improvements in port efficiency and border services have occurred, the study concludes that government-led investment, rather than reliance on mining firms, is essential for multipurpose infrastructure.

The workshop, organized by the IGF in partnership with the UNDP and OECD, focused on the 'IGF Guide for Governments: Managing Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining'. It combined technical training on strategy development—covering startup, elaboration, and implementation phases—with field visits to mining sites in Eséka and Pouma, Cameroon. Participants identified common regional challenges, including formalization, child labor, environmental degradation, and lack of institutional coordination, while sharing case studies from Cameroon, Guinea, Mauritania, and Morocco.

The RISE 2018 report tracks sustainable energy policies across 133 countries, finding that the number of nations with advanced frameworks tripled between 2010 and 2017. While progress is evident, the global average score of 58/100 suggests the world is only halfway to advanced policy adoption, potentially jeopardizing SDG7 and Paris Agreement goals. The report highlights a strong focus on electricity over heating and transport, a decline in utility creditworthiness in access-deficit countries, and a gap between 'on paper' regulations and actual enforcement.

The 2018 Sustainable Energy for All Forum highlighted that while progress is being made on most SDG7 objectives, the world is not on track to achieve universal energy access by 2030. Key discussions centered on the critical need to reform infrastructure finance, the emerging importance of sustainable cooling for survival and health, and the stagnation of clean cooking access, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Forum advocated for a shift toward viewing energy as a set of services rather than just electrons, emphasizing the need for integrated planning and gender-inclusive investing to reach the most vulnerable populations.

The document examines the tension between Rwanda's national development goals—such as becoming a middle-income country by 2020—and the resulting pressure on natural resources at the district level. Focusing on Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe, it identifies widespread scarcity of woody biomass and clean water, driven by urban demand for charcoal and traditional farming practices. It argues that while national strategies like the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy exist, there is a gap in translating these into local action, necessitating tailored district-level solutions and national policy incentives to shift urban energy demand away from charcoal.

The document examines why many countries have integrated climate adaptation into policy documents without translating these plans into concrete projects. It identifies key barriers including lack of finance, technical knowledge limitations, and insufficient political will. By analyzing 'early movers'—Afghanistan, Colombia, Germany, India, and Rwanda—the paper highlights five critical success factors: sustained political leadership, legally binding policy mandates, inter-agency coordination, access to tailored information, and supportive budgetary processes.