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The paper examines electoral management in Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, highlighting a trend toward independent or hybrid EMB models. It identifies critical challenges including the high cost of elections, executive interference in appointments and tenure, and the complexities of electoral dispute adjudication. The author argues that the effectiveness of EMBs is often undermined by a political culture of impunity and zero-sum politics, despite formal legal guarantees of independence.

The research examines the potential for a 'resource curse' in four African nations soon to become oil-dependent. Using a game-theoretic model and the concept of 'limited access orders,' the author argues that oil rents typically disrupt political incentives, undermining economic performance and potentially destabilizing the state. While Ghana is identified as a potential exception due to its robust democracy and lower projected oil-to-tax revenue ratio, the other cases show higher risks of repression or predatory behavior. The paper concludes that radical policy interventions like 'cash-to-citizen' transfers are implausible because they ignore the domestic political equilibria and patronage networks that maintain stability.

The document examines the governance of African fisheries, highlighting the tension between wealth generation and the 'welfare function' of small-scale fisheries. It identifies illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing as a major threat, particularly in West Africa, and discusses the transition from centralised governance to co-management systems. While progress is noted in the use of satellite tracking and regional cooperation to combat industrial overfishing, the document emphasizes the need for sustainable, independent co-management structures to protect livelihoods and ecosystems.

The report analyzes the systemic power imbalances in compensation processes for extractive industries, where benefits often accrue at the state level while costs are borne by local communities. It evaluates several mechanisms for improving outcomes: Community Development Agreements (CDAs) in mining, strategic human rights litigation, and Biocultural Community Protocols. A specific case study of the Chad-Cameroon Oil & Pipeline Project illustrates the failures of individual-based monetary compensation and argues for a paradigm shift toward livelihood restoration and 'land for land' replacement.

The paper analyzes the funding of African governance institutions, such as anti-corruption commissions and the APRM, and processes like constitutional reform and the EITI. It argues that while government funding is ideal for ensuring national ownership, a mix of donor and state funds is common. The author highlights that funding can be used as a reward for good governance (e.g., US Millennium Challenge Account) or as a tool for donor control (e.g., EU funding of PEFA). The document concludes that mitigating external influence requires a combination of self-assessment processes, adherence to continental or global standards, and the mainstreaming of governance actions into national budgets.

The document details SEI's multi-scale approach to climate mitigation, focusing on sub-national policy for cities, the necessity of limiting fossil-fuel infrastructure to meet the 2°C target, and the strategic use of modern bioenergy in developing countries. It highlights the use of the LEAP system for low-carbon planning and describes ongoing efforts to integrate social variables into technical climate analysis.

The document examines the underutilisation of best practices within the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), noting that while over 200 practices have been identified across 15 country review reports, they remain largely confined to those reports. It argues that best practices should serve as a central anchor for peer learning to drive governance reform. The author recommends that the APRM define best practices more clearly, integrate their identification into the initial country self-assessment phase to increase national ownership, and establish a central repository and dedicated learning forums to disseminate these home-grown solutions across the continent.

The document analyzes state fragility in Africa as a self-reinforcing syndrome driven by poor governance, conflict, inequality, and poverty. Using the International Futures system, it forecasts that while 16 of the 26 identified fragile countries may transition toward resilience by 2050, ten are at risk of remaining in a 'fragility trap'. The authors emphasize that while Africa's overall economy is projected to grow significantly, the gap in extreme poverty between fragile and resilient states is expected to widen unless inclusive growth and improved governance are achieved.

The policy brief contends that offensive military intervention is frequently required to stop conflicts before peacekeeping can begin, noting that international bodies often fail to act promptly. It analyzes the increasing capabilities of opposing forces in Africa—including better training, equipment, and leadership—and the logistical challenges posed by vast strategic and operational distances. The author argues that South Africa, as a regional economic power, should develop an autonomous intervention capability within the SANDF, including enhanced special forces, airlift, and reconnaissance, potentially requiring a defense budget of approximately 2% of GDP, while still cooperating with SADC and the African Union.

The briefing analyzes violent clashes between the Konianké and Guerzé communities in Guinea's Forest Region, which resulted in at least 100 deaths in July 2013. It attributes the conflict to disputes over land and citizenship, exacerbated by historical political manipulation, religious differences, and the proliferation of weapons from neighboring conflicts in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire. The author argues that these tensions could influence Guinea's national electoral politics and recommends independent judicial processes and local peacebuilding initiatives to mitigate future violence.

The document assesses the G-20's food security commitments from an African perspective, focusing on food-price volatility, agricultural productivity, and nutrition. While it finds broad alignment in rhetoric and focus areas, it argues that the G-20 fails to implement critical regulatory reforms in financial markets and trade that would meaningfully benefit Africa.

The policy brief highlights that mangroves are among the world's most threatened vegetation types, with over 20% lost in the last 30 years. It emphasizes that in Africa, mangroves often overlap with fossil fuel deposits and infrastructure projects, leading to degradation. The author advocates for the use of ecosystem valuations, integrated coastal zone management, and the inclusion of local communities in decision-making to reconcile economic growth with biodiversity conservation. Proposed interventions include the adoption of 'no net loss' policies, the use of Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs), and the implementation of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and Blue Carbon trading to provide financial incentives for conservation.

The report examines the 'land question' in Ghana, identifying a weak institutional base and the political manipulation of land as primary drivers of insecurity. It details how these issues lead to violent disputes, the rise of 'land guards', and economic instability. The document also addresses the impact of large-scale land grabbing by foreign corporations and the systemic marginalization of women and the poor in land access. It concludes that these problems are mirrored across other ECOWAS member states and calls for regional policy leadership and greater accountability for traditional chiefs.

The document examines China's role in Sierra Leone as a trade partner and infrastructure developer. While Chinese activities may promote overall economic growth, the author argues that weak local institutions hinder the ability to ensure these investments lead to significant poverty reduction or employment. The brief highlights specific infrastructure projects, the nature of Chinese developmental aid, and the challenges regarding labour rights and corporate social responsibility in the mining sector.

The report analyzes President Barack Obama's 2013 visit to Africa, framing it as an effort to shift US-Africa relations from a focus on security and counter-terrorism toward economic growth, trade, and democratic investment. It highlights the competitive pressure from China's dominant trade position and the US's efforts to address energy poverty and youth unemployment through initiatives like YALI and renewable energy financing.

The policy briefing addresses the declining momentum of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and its National Programmes of Action (NPOA). It identifies causes for this decline, such as lack of interest from heads of state and insufficient financial support, and proposes reviving the process by integrating NPOA into National Developmental Plans (NDPs) and collaborating with African Union organs and regional economic communities.

This report identifies effective strategies used by faith-based organizations across Africa to combat HIV stigma. It categorizes interventions into knowledge sharing, upliftment, and advocacy, while emphasizing the critical role of faith leaders as community change agents. Through eight case studies, the document highlights that sustainable stigma reduction requires long-term commitment, the inclusion of people living with HIV in leadership, and the use of personal testimonies over purely theoretical training.

The Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) initiative, launched by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), aims to provide sustainable solar lighting to un-electrified rural areas. In India, the program has reached approximately 500,000 people across 1,860 villages in 22 states. The model relies on local entrepreneurs who manage solar charging stations or DC micro grids, offering lighting via a fee-for-service rental model or through loan-financed enterprises. To ensure sustainability, TERI established 'Energy Enterprises' (Uttam Urja Shops) for after-sales support and product sales, with support from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) to create over 400 such shops. The initiative has evolved its financing from initial grants to market-based equity and investment models and has expanded its scope to include mobile phone charging, vocational training for women, and conservation activities through various public-private-people partnerships.

The SEI Science Forum 2013 Book of Abstracts presents a diverse portfolio of research focusing on the water-energy-food nexus, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sustainable governance. Key projects include the development of integrated modeling toolkits (WEAP and LEAP), assessments of climate vulnerability in cities like Quito and Cape Town, and evaluations of international climate finance mechanisms such as the Adaptation Fund. The research spans global scopes with specific case studies in regions including Southeast Asia, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arctic, emphasizing the bridge between scientific research and policy implementation.

The document examines policy risk—defined as unexpected government regulatory changes—and its impact on renewable energy investments. It analyzes existing tools like MIGA and OPIC political risk insurance and World Bank partial risk guarantees, while detailing a new OPIC FiT insurance product. The report concludes with recommendations for improving these instruments through standardization, expanded geographic scope, and better integration with credit rating agency methodologies to enhance project bankability.