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This research paper analyzes the transition of the US-led African Crisis Response Force (ACRF) into the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI) in 1997. It examines the ACRI's focus on long-term capacity-building through military training for African battalions to enhance peacekeeping interoperability, while critiquing the initiative's lack of coordination with the OAU and UN, its reliance on US military doctrine, and the absence of a clear mechanism for deploying the trained forces.

The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) conducted various capacity-building initiatives, policy advocacy, and institutional partnerships in 2024 to address Africa's public debt burden, reform the global financial architecture, and promote sustainable debt management.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law, prepared for the United Nations Environment Programme, evaluates the effectiveness of trade and positive measures within the Montreal Protocol. It analyzes how these mechanisms—ranging from import/export bans on ozone-depleting substances (ODS) to financial assistance for developing nations—have driven near-universal ratification and compliance to reduce global emissions of controlled substances.

This report argues that gender equality is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It examines the historical role of women in UN environmental policies, the economic costs of gender inequality, and the specific benefits of women's leadership in climate action, agriculture, and natural resource management.

This fact sheet describes the advisory and capacity development services provided by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to help low- and middle-income governments and regional bodies establish legal and policy frameworks for responsible private sector investment in agriculture.

This report, produced for the SEED Initiative and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), identifies critical success factors and performance indicators for start-up social and environmental enterprises in developing countries. Based on a literature review and empirical research with ten SEED-supported enterprises, the document proposes a rapid assessment framework to help entrepreneurs and investors determine the viability of nascent ventures and monitor their progress across economic, social, and environmental goals.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues that international security in the 21st century has shifted from state-on-state military conflict to 'human security', where threats include terrorism, climate change, and resource conflict. The author contends that current international trade and aid policies, often designed by wealthy nations, can systematically undermine peace and development in poor states by reinforcing power disparities and creating economic instability.

This report provides development forecasts for Sierra Leone up to 2043, comparing a 'Current Path' trajectory based on existing policies with various sectoral improvement scenarios and a combined 'Agenda 2063' scenario. It analyzes demographics, economic growth, poverty levels, energy transition, and the potential impacts of targeted interventions in agriculture, education, and governance.

This briefing discusses the implications of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's decision not to award the Mo Ibrahim Prize for good governance in Africa for a specific year, examining the prize's criteria and its role in promoting democratisation on the continent.

This research paper examines the shift in Africa's strategic relevance following the Cold War, arguing that the decline of superpower competition has left African states more fragile and prone to regional conflicts. It advocates for a transition from traditional deterrence to a 'collaborative security' model based on reassurance, transparency, and domestic stability, while cautioning against donor efforts to capacitate weak, undemocratic states to provide regional peacekeeping.

This research paper examines developments in international justice and the effort to end the 'culture of impunity' where international actors violate fundamental norms without punishment. It specifically focuses on the creation of specialized criminal tribunals to prosecute violations of international humanitarian law in Sierra Leone, Cambodia, and East Timor.

This briefing by Festus B Aboagye of the Institute for Security Studies questions the efficacy of humanitarian interventions in Africa, arguing that they often fail to address root causes of conflict and may inadvertently prolong violence. The author suggests that non-intervention, allowing conflicts to reach a military conclusion, could be a more durable alternative in certain contexts.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Bill [B54-97], approved by the South African Cabinet on 30 April 1997. While the authors support the goal of preventing South African citizens and companies from providing unauthorized military services abroad, they argue the Bill's scope is overly broad and grants excessive discretionary power to the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, thereby undermining parliamentary oversight.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the doctrinal differences between United Nations (UN) peacekeeping and African Union (AU) peace support operations, using these distinctions to propose strategies for stabilising northern Mali.

This monograph examines disarmament as a key component of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) efforts within African peacekeeping operations. It highlights the necessity of sub-regional contexts in peace efforts, using the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as an example of regional insecurity. The text notes that while disarmament has been attempted in countries like Angola, Mozambique, and Liberia with varying success, Sierra Leone represents a recent successful conclusion of such a programme.

This policy brief argues that juvenile justice systems in Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia have failed to evolve alongside British law and international standards. It highlights a lack of priority for rehabilitation over retribution and a failure to provide dedicated facilities for children during legal proceedings, despite the states' commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This policy brief examines the historical and structural challenges facing the judicial systems of Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia, highlighting how colonial legacies of executive dominance continue to undermine judicial independence and the protection of human rights.

This research paper examines the exclusion of women's experiences from mainstream depictions of war, specifically focusing on female soldiers in Sierra Leone. It argues for the recognition of wartime rape as a tactic of war and the need to address the insecurity faced by women and children during and after conflict to create effective post-conflict policies.

This research paper, based on a qualitative study conducted in April and May 2003, examines the exploitative gender dynamics and sexual abuse of local women and girls by peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) and Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). The author analyzes how financial disparities, power imbalances, and a 'peacekeeping economy' contribute to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), while evaluating the effectiveness of gender training and conduct committees in these missions.

This research paper examines the drivers of conflict and the peacekeeping efforts in the Mano River Basin, highlighting the roles of displaced populations, illicit trade, and international security concerns.