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The Nairobi Non-Motorized Transport Enforcement Dialogue, held on April 6, 2022, brought together various Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) departments to evaluate the state of non-motorized transport (NMT) infrastructure and enforcement. While the forum celebrated well-maintained footpaths and cycling paths on streets such as Kenyatta Avenue and Muindi Mbingu Street, it identified significant failures including illegal vendor encroachment, lack of accessibility for persons with disabilities on Jogoo Road footbridges, and air pollution. NMS officials committed to improving NMT systems in 10 major corridors by the end of 2022 and enhancing pedestrian safety through street lighting. Key enforcement challenges identified include political interference and hostility from boda boda riders, with officials emphasizing the need for greater public sensitization and inter-departmental coordination.

The document examines the 'digital divide' facing approximately 38 developing countries in the WTO e-commerce JSI, highlighting gaps in infrastructure and information asymmetry. It argues that current cooperation provisions are too focused on regulatory alignment and recommends a hybrid Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) model—combining elements of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and GATS—to provide enforceable capacity building and flexible implementation periods.

The document highlights a significant digital divide and information asymmetry that hinder developing countries and LDCs from effectively participating in and benefiting from the WTO's Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce. It argues that current cooperation efforts are too focused on regulatory alignment and lack targeted technical assistance. The report proposes a hybrid model of Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) and a comprehensive support framework—including negotiation facilitation and multi-stakeholder consultations—to ensure that e-commerce rules serve as inclusive development tools.

The report examines the intersection of gender inequality and climate change in the Central African Republic, highlighting how socio-cultural norms, poverty, and conflict exacerbate the vulnerability of women. It assesses the current status of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the national institutional framework for gender equality, finding significant gaps in women's access to land, decision-making roles, and education. The document concludes with specific recommendations for 'enabling activities'—such as improving sex-disaggregated data collection and strengthening institutional coordination—and 'operational priorities' across the agriculture, livestock, water resources, and education sectors to ensure climate adaptation is gender-responsive.

The report finds that human rights are not systematically referenced in the reviewed NAPs, with few countries using them to guide the planning or implementation process. While some plans, notably Fiji's, demonstrate a strong commitment to human rights-based approaches, most others only make indirect or superficial references to rights. The authors argue for the development of detailed guidance to integrate social, political, administrative, and legal entry points into the NAP process to better protect vulnerable groups.

The document argues that Kenya's coffee sector, which employs 30% of the agricultural workforce, faces existential risks from climate change and declining production. It proposes 17 specific Sustainable Consumption and Production Practices (SCPs) across the value chain—from farm-level organic fertilizers and shade trees to factory-level eco-pulping and the use of renewable energy in milling—to increase yields and reduce environmental impacts. The brief recommends that the Kenyan government incorporate SCPs into national coffee reforms, provide subsidies for sustainable technology, and enhance capacity-building through extension officers.

The report examines the plastic recycling ecosystem in Mombasa, Kenya, identifying a value chain that ranges from informal waste pickers to formal converters. While PET, HDPE, and PVC are recycled, other polymers like LDPE and polystyrene largely end up as litter. The study highlights significant barriers to a circular economy, including high licensing costs, poor working conditions for marginalized collectors, and a lack of designated recycling infrastructure. It emphasizes the potential of upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations to transform the sector and recommends implementing waste segregation at the source and providing financial incentives for recyclers.

In 2021, wind and solar power reached a record 10.3% of global electricity generation, but this growth was insufficient to offset a historic surge in electricity demand. Consequently, global coal generation and power sector CO2 emissions both hit all-time highs, with coal meeting 59% of new demand. While 50 countries now derive over 10% of their power from wind and solar, the report warns that the global energy transition is significantly off track from the IEA's net-zero pathway, which requires wind and solar to grow by 20% annually through 2030.

The document examines the global water and sanitation crisis, noting that 673 million people lack toilets and 2.1 billion lack safe drinking water. It critiques previous international efforts, such as the Millennium Development Goals, for using low-ambition indicators, and advocates for the more holistic Sustainable Development Goal 6. The brief emphasizes the intersection of water security with climate change, environmental degradation, and social inequality, calling for increased financing, better governance, and a human rights-based approach to ensure no one is left behind by 2030.

The document examines the rising debt accumulation in Africa since 2010, noting a shift from traditional creditors to emerging economies like China and private bondholders. It analyzes how the 2008 financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated vulnerabilities, and argues that existing relief initiatives like the DSSI and Common Framework are insufficient because they often exclude private creditors and lack binding legal frameworks. The authors advocate for a statutory Sovereign Debt Restructuring mechanism and the adoption of UN-led principles to ensure transparency and fairness.

The AfCFTA is currently stuck between its negotiation and implementation phases, with substantive trade failing to take off as of February 2022. While 44 AU member states have ratified the agreement, progress is blocked by the delayed conclusion of vital technical components, most notably the rules of origin. Although the Council of Ministers decided in January 2022 to proceed with rules of origin for 87.7% of product lines, the remaining gaps have led to a low number of full tariff offers from member states. The authors argue that regional economic powers, such as Kenya and South Africa, must move past negotiating brinkmanship toward concessions and collaboration to generate the momentum necessary for African industrialization and economic transformation.

The report analyzes how insurance regulators in 31 sub-Saharan African countries responded to COVID-19, proposing a four-phase framework (Identify, Implement, Monitor, Adapt) to handle systemic risks. Key findings highlight the importance of risk-based supervision (RBS), proactive digital communication, and the need for real-time data via Suptech. It also identifies emerging future risks, including climate change, cyber-security, and political unrest.

The policy brief examines the barriers preventing women in Africa from equitably participating in the restoration economy—the economic activity related to ecological restoration. It identifies that despite international and regional frameworks, women face systemic discrimination, limited political power, and significant financial hurdles, particularly regarding asset ownership and collateral for loans. The author argues that gender equity is essential for the ecological success of restoration projects and proposes reforms in financial systems, customary laws, and decision-making processes to ensure women are active drivers and beneficiaries of the restoration value chain.

The document argues that end-user subsidies are essential for achieving universal electricity access by reducing product costs for the poorest households. It analyzes two primary methodologies for calculating the affordability gap—the SEforALL 'Taking the Pulse' and the World Bank 'Market Trends' approaches—and identifies key design attributes including financing structures, delivery modalities, and verification systems. Through case studies, it demonstrates that successful programmes, like those in Ghana and Togo, rely on accurate demographic data and effective public-private partnerships, whereas the Ugandan experience highlights risks such as payment delays and inaccurate subsidy thresholds. The brief concludes that harmonized data metrics and a modified energy burden threshold for emerging economies are necessary to prevent market distortion and improve targeting.

The Travel & Expense Procedures (Version 3.0) establish the operational rules for claiming business expenses at FSD Africa. It mandates that all spending be "reasonable and necessary" and aligned with a "pro-poor mission." The document details specific reimbursement caps for meals, rules for alcohol and telephone usage, and the requirement for original receipts. It also includes specific protocols for travel during the Covid-19 pandemic and a carbon footprint statement aimed at reducing and offsetting CO2 emissions from business travel.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative outlines the climate finance landscape in Kenya, identifying a significant funding gap and a disproportionate flow of resources toward mitigation rather than adaptation. It proposes three innovative financial blueprints—the African Conservancies Fund, the Chyulu Hills Payment for Ecosystem Services, and the Green Village Savings and Loans Association—designed to mobilize private capital for underfunded adaptation sectors.

The report examines the alignment between DFI funding and national strategic priorities in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Kenya. It finds that while national plans are generally aligned with SDGs, DFIs often operate based on internal strategies rather than national plans. The analysis identifies specific sectoral gaps where DFIs could provide financial additionality, particularly in ICT and healthcare, and proposes a four-step framework for DFIs to better align investments with country-level strategic sectors.

The document examines the Forest Conservation and Management (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to remove the requirement for the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to recommend petitions for the variation of public forest boundaries before they are forwarded to the National Assembly. While proponents argue that KFS has used its power to block legitimate petitions and that the Constitution does not require such recommendations, Natural Justice and other opponents warn that this change would politicize the process and remove mandatory safeguards, including Independent Environmental Impact Assessments and public consultation. The document asserts that such changes could exacerbate climate challenges like prolonged droughts and extreme heat by compromising forest integrity.

Climate change is intensifying risks of violent conflict across Africa by aggravating food and water insecurity, driving human displacement, and increasing competition over natural resources. The document highlights specific crises, such as the shrinking of Lake Chad and farmer-herder conflicts in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, to illustrate how environmental stressors exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. It calls for the integration of climate-sensitive planning into peacekeeping, reconstruction, and development efforts, emphasizing nature-based solutions and climate-resilient agriculture as key to strengthening resilience and security.

The report argues that African states must transition from being 'junior partners' in global cyber diplomacy to active participants by developing common continental positions and leveraging their demographic position as a future technology market. It highlights the risks of 'norm colonisation' from cyber superpowers and the vulnerability of fragile democracies to information warfare. The author recommends that the African Union recruit 'cyber champions' from digitally mature states and uncouple trade negotiations from cyber diplomacy to ensure a unified approach to digital governance and security.