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The Ouagadougou Political Accord, signed in March 2007 to end the Ivorian civil war, has largely stalled due to a lack of political will. While it established a cohabitation government between President Gbagbo and Prime Minister Soro, critical milestones including disarmament (DDR), population identification, and voter registration remain incomplete. The document describes the process as a struggle for control over the state's security and economic institutions, with elections delayed beyond January 2008. It highlights the influence of Burkina Faso as a mediator and the ambivalent role of France, while warning that a rupture in the Gbagbo-Soro alliance could destabilize the region.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) examines the global state of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP). It analyzes legal frameworks, national and international programs, and the specific challenges faced by emerging and developing economies in integrating environmental, social, and economic criteria into public purchasing.

This research paper analyzes the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as a tool for democratic institution building. It finds that while the APRM aims to foster transparency and dialogue, its progress is stalled by a lack of political will, technical capacity gaps, and financial shortages. The author argues that African governments often act as gate-keepers, limiting genuine public participation and the implementation of recommendations. The paper highlights the disparity in progress among member states, noting that by 2007, only Ghana had completed the full review process.

This briefing examines the state of regional integration in Central Africa, focusing on the roles and interactions of the Central Africa Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). It analyzes the institutional frameworks, the impact of colonial legacies, the influence of external actors like France and the EU, and the challenges posed by overlapping memberships and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations.

This research paper critiques the Red Door initiative in South Africa's Western Cape province, arguing that political pressure to claim success has led to the funding of a superficial training programme that prioritizes quantity of participants over actual job creation and business viability.

This report by Friends of the Earth International argues that World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations and regional free trade agreements prioritize corporate profit over environmental sustainability and human rights, leading to the loss of livelihoods for millions of small-scale farmers, fishers, and indigenous peoples. The document details how trade liberalization facilitates the privatization of natural resources, undermines food sovereignty, and exacerbates climate change and desertification across various global regions.

This 2005 report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) examines the critical link between environmental degradation and rural poverty. It argues that neoliberal economic models, characterized by privatization and industrial exploitation of natural resources, exacerbate poverty by stripping local communities of their self-determination and access to essential resources. The document presents various case studies from the Global South and North to demonstrate that poverty eradication is possible when communities maintain control over their natural assets through sustainable, community-led management and the recognition of environmental rights.

This research paper chapter examines the negative dimensions of diaspora networking, specifically how migrants can facilitate organized crime, money laundering, and the financing of terrorism and armed struggles in Africa south of the Sahara. It analyzes the prevalence of informal remittance systems, the specific case of Nigerian criminal syndicates, and the socio-political drivers of xenophobia and immigration restrictions.

This fact sheet, published by Friends of the Earth International, provides an overview of the European Investment Bank (EIB), detailing its governance, financial mechanisms, and its complex relationship with the European Union. The document critiques the EIB for its lack of transparency, insufficient environmental and social safeguards, and its tendency to operate as a private bank despite its public status.

This 2004 report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) argues that environmental rights are fundamental human rights, essential for survival, health, and dignity. It documents numerous global case studies where neoliberal economic globalization and corporate activities have led to the violation of these rights, including the displacement of indigenous peoples, toxic pollution, and the privatization of water. The document advocates for a framework of environmental justice, the recognition of new rights for climate refugees, and the enforcement of corporate accountability through legal mechanisms and international norms.

The report 'Back to the Blackboard' examines the education crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, arguing that the narrow focus on Universal Primary Education (UPE) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has neglected secondary education and compromised instructional quality. It highlights systemic failures including teacher shortages, poor salaries, corruption, and the devastating impact of HIV/Aids. The document advocates for a comprehensive strategy that integrates secondary schooling, vocational training, and curriculum reform to drive economic growth, drawing lessons from East Asia's successful integration of human capital development and industrial planning.

This December 2003 report by Friends of the Earth International argues that International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including multilateral development banks and bilateral export credit agencies, should phase out funding for the extractive industries. The document contends that IFI-supported oil, gas, and mining projects frequently lead to environmental disasters, human rights abuses, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples, while failing to alleviate poverty in resource-rich developing nations.

This report by Friends of the Earth International argues that international financial institutions (IFIs) should cease funding extractive industries—specifically oil, gas, and mining—due to their devastating impacts on local communities, human rights, and the global environment. Through multiple case studies across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, the document illustrates how public funding for these projects often exacerbates poverty, fuels corruption, and contributes to climate change, while providing minimal economic benefit to host countries.

This research paper analyzes the military coup in São Tomé e Príncipe on 16 July 2003, examining the interplay between domestic political instability, the grievances of the armed forces, and the influence of former mercenaries from the Buffalo Battalion, while assessing the role of potential oil wealth in the event and its resolution.

In a statement delivered on September 22, 2003, Daniel B. Magraw, Jr., President of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), evaluates the ten-year history of the World Bank Inspection Panel (WBIP). He argues that while the Panel has successfully promoted accountability and served as a model for other development institutions, it faces critical challenges regarding the sustainability of its outcomes, the Bank's relationship with human rights norms, and the potential erosion of accountability due to changes in safeguard policies and lending structures.

The report 'Empowering Communities Through Corporate Transparency' by the International Right to Know (IRTK) coalition advocates for the creation of disclosure standards for U.S.-based or U.S.-traded corporations operating abroad. It argues that a 'right-to-know loophole' exists where companies are not required to disclose environmental, labor, and human rights data overseas that they must disclose domestically under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA). Through various case studies, the report illustrates how lack of transparency has contributed to industrial disasters, toxic pollution, and human rights abuses.

This 2003 fact sheet by Friends of the Earth International examines the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in providing development loans, particularly to Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. It argues that while the EIB is a central financial institution for the EU's relations with developing nations, it lacks a formal development strategy and fails to integrate sustainable development or poverty eradication goals into its project evaluations, which remain focused on economic and technical criteria.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that sustainable development and environmental justice are symbiotically related, asserting that the former cannot be achieved without the latter. The document explores the legal nexus between human rights and the environment, emphasizing the right to a healthy environment, community-based property rights, and procedural rights as essential components for achieving global sustainability and justice.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) documents 22 campaigns against multinational corporations whose activities cause biodiversity loss and harm local communities. It argues that corporate globalization, driven by industrial agriculture, mining, and logging, prioritizes shareholder profit over ecological stability and human rights. The document calls for binding international laws to hold companies legally and economically accountable for environmental damage and advocates for the recognition of 'ecological debt' owed by Northern industrial nations to the Global South.

This briefing describes the seizure of power in the Central African Republic on 15 March 2002, when General François Bozizé led approximately 1,000 rebel troops to take control of Bangui, displacing President Patassé.