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This report evaluates the state of juvenile justice in Sierra Leone as of 2008, focusing on the alignment of national laws and institutional practices with international standards such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It identifies significant gaps in legal definitions of childhood, a lack of specialized juvenile courts, and inadequate detention facilities, noting that children are frequently detained with adults or held arbitrarily due to systemic inefficiencies.

This executive summary of a 2008 country review by the Institute for Security Studies examines the state of crime and criminal justice in Sierra Leone. It details how a history of authoritarianism and a civil war (1991–2002) led to the collapse of state infrastructure and the justice system. While post-conflict reforms have focused on the police and armed forces, the report finds systemic failures across policing, prosecution, prisons, the judiciary, and juvenile justice, including outdated laws, severe underfunding, and corruption.

This report chapter examines the customary justice system in Sierra Leone, a dual legal structure where informal local courts provide the primary means of justice for most citizens, particularly in provinces. While generally viewed positively by users, the system suffers from severe institutional decay, lack of funding, and discriminatory practices against women and juveniles.

This report provides a comprehensive review of the crime and criminal justice system in Sierra Leone as of 2008, examining policing, prosecution, prisons, the judiciary, and access to justice. It highlights the systemic collapse of these institutions during the civil war (1991–2002) and the subsequent challenges in reconstruction, including severe underfunding, corruption, politicisation, and a dual legal system that creates disparities between urban and rural justice.

This trainer's guide, published by the Institute for Security Studies in April 2009, provides a comprehensive training framework for the SARPCCO Generic United Nations Police Officers Course (UNPOC). Based on the UN's Standardised Generic Training Modules (SGTM) Level I, the document is designed to prepare police officers for deployment in peace support operations under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU). It covers a wide array of topics including the history and functions of INTERPOL and SARPCCO, the legal frameworks of the UN and AU, conduct and discipline, human rights, safety awareness, and operational techniques such as radio communication and report writing. The guide includes pedagogical tools for trainers, such as lesson plans, case studies, and a detailed field exercise called 'Furugo Kali' to simulate real-world peacekeeping scenarios.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the economic and political outlook for Africa in 2009, highlighting the risks posed by the global banking crisis, commodity price volatility, and precarious democratic transitions.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the evolution of France's relations with Africa, analyzing the transition from the traditional 'Françafrique' system of personalized power and influence toward a more multilateral, transparent partnership. It evaluates the tensions between official rhetoric of rupture—such as the 'doctrine de la Baule' and President Nicolas Sarkozy's promises—and the persistence of old habits, including the support of authoritarian regimes and the reduction of development aid.

This research paper by Victoria Ayer provides strategic advice for civil society organisations (CSOs) to influence parliaments and achieve legislative change, particularly in developing democracies. It emphasizes the importance of understanding electoral systems, conducting non-partisan research, building long-term relationships with political 'champions', and maintaining organisational legitimacy through financial transparency and community rooting.

This guide, written by Victoria Ayer for the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), provides strategic advice for civil society organizations (CSOs) on how to effectively engage with and influence parliaments to achieve legislative and social change. Drawing on the author's experience training over 120 organizations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Balkans, the document emphasizes the importance of understanding electoral systems, building long-term relationships with legislators, and providing high-quality, non-partisan data to fill resource gaps within parliamentary institutions.

This research paper examines the role of transnational organised crime networks and 'middlemen' in fueling African conflicts through the illicit trade of weapons and natural resources. Using the case studies of Leonid Minin and Victor Bout, the document highlights the sophistication of these networks, their use of front companies and tax havens, and the systemic failures of international law enforcement and national legislation to prosecute sanctions-busting activities.

This research paper analyzes the 'SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections,' a code adopted by Southern African Development Community leaders on August 17 to establish regional rules for political contests and reduce conflicting verdicts between observer missions.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs outlines a business-centric vision for Africa's economic development, arguing that the continent must prioritize political stability, basic infrastructure maintenance, access to credit, and the rule of law over large-scale projects or long-term social goals to achieve immediate growth.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) has failed to translate the identification of problems into actionable solutions. Based on dialogues with 56 business organisations and five studies, the text asserts that government priorities are misaligned with business needs, specifically regarding corruption and infrastructure, and argues that economic prosperity is a prerequisite for long-term political stability in Africa.

This research paper argues that large African states, with the exception of South Africa, are characterized by chronic instability, poor economic performance, and administrative failure. The author contends that the international community's adherence to territorial integrity and generic democratic prescriptions is ineffective for these complex states and proposes a new realism that prioritizes state-building over democracy and accepts the possibility of partition.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the evolution of integrated peacebuilding strategies in post-conflict Liberia between 2003 and 2008. It analyzes the collaboration between the Government of Liberia (GoL) and the United Nations (UN), specifically UNMIL and the UN Country Team, to move from tenuous security to a sustainable peace. The document details the process of identifying 'conflict factors', infusing conflict sensitivity into national policy frameworks like the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), and the challenges of balancing security-oriented benchmarks with long-term peacebuilding goals.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies provides an update on the operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF), a multidisciplinary force designed for rapid deployment in peace support operations across Africa. While the AU has made progress in developing doctrine, training policies, and standard operating procedures, the document highlights significant hurdles in logistics, AU-level leadership capacity, and sustainable financing.

This strategy report, prepared following a February 2006 meeting in Nairobi, examines the intersection of biodiversity conservation and social-political conflict within the Albertine Rift. It advocates for adaptive conservation interventions to minimize risks and address root causes of threats, while analyzing seven conflict assessment tools to help practitioners avoid or mitigate conflict in project areas.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) analyzes China's preferential trade policy for African Least Developed Countries (LDCs). While the policy is designed to align with the export capacities of these nations, the author argues that its economic impact is modest compared to its symbolic and diplomatic value in signaling China's rise as a global power and alternative to Western donors.

This 2008 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the SEED Initiative examines the challenges and processes of scaling up and replicating social and environmental enterprises. It contrasts the 'large scale' ambitions of international development donors with the modest, viability-focused growth goals of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs), suggesting that recognition and reward programs should provide more tailored, long-term support and help create enabling environments rather than expecting entrepreneurs to drive systemic societal transformation alone.

This report, based on the SA Army Seminar 21, outlines the strategic vision for the South African Army to remain relevant and ready for future security challenges in Africa. It examines the nature of African conflict, the operationalization of the African Standby Force (ASF) and SADC Brigade, and the necessity of integrating cultural intelligence, professional leadership, and technological innovation into military doctrine to handle complex, asymmetric, and multi-dimensional peace support operations.