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This policy brief outlines the importance of democratic governance at local levels for the effective disbursement of climate change funding in developing countries. It references a September 2010 civil society meeting in Cape Town where experts discussed national and subnational experiences with the Adaptation Fund, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD).

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the failures of government-led rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for defectors from violent extremist groups in Africa, highlighting how human rights abuses and a lack of transparency drive defectors away from state processes and toward civil society or direct community return.

This research paper examines the legal perspectives surrounding the effects of climate change in Africa, specifically focusing on the role of environmental law and legal mechanisms as tools to enforce policy decisions and shape human behavior regarding the environment.

The Peace and Security Council Report No 176 analyzes the outcomes of the 38th AU Summit in February 2025, focusing on leadership transitions, the chairship of Angola, and the ongoing challenges of the 'Silencing the Guns' agenda. It highlights the election of Mahamoud Ali Youssouf as AUC chair and the debate over rotational versus permanent membership in the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC).

This research paper outlines the systemic challenges of studying crime and criminal justice in Africa, emphasizing the impact of political repression, the legacy of colonialism, and the scarcity of reliable official data. It highlights how 'African solidarity' can lead to non-compliance with international legal protocols and suggests that regional cooperation through the African Union and SARPCCO offers a path toward greater transparency and institutionalized research.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes projects aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) in Central, East, and West Africa. It identifies critical gaps in funding duration, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity, and the potential for P/CVE labeling to stigmatize target communities, while suggesting a shift toward longer-term funding and greater African state ownership.

This document is a draft agenda for the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, scheduled for February 1-3, 2009, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

This policy brief, published by the Institute for Security Studies in June 2011, examines the governance of climate change funds—specifically the Adaptation Fund, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)—across several developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It highlights systemic issues regarding accountability, stakeholder representation, and the risk of private sector interests overriding local needs.

The August 2023 issue of the Peace and Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) struggle to prevent unconstitutional changes of government (UCGs), the need to reform the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the recruitment of child soldiers by ISWAP in the Lake Chad Basin, and the outcomes of the 2023 Russia-Africa Summit.

This October 2015 report from the Institute for Security Studies examines the relationship between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), focusing on peacekeeping funding, counter-terrorism efforts, and specific crises in South Sudan, Mali, and Somalia. It also analyzes the risks associated with a series of upcoming elections across the African continent.

This guide provides a framework for communities to implement a Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP) to engage with external actors, raise awareness, participate in decision-making, and resolve conflicts regarding their territories and resources.

This guide provides a framework for Indigenous peoples and local communities to use biocultural community protocols as tools for engaging with external actors, participating in decision-making, and resolving conflicts. It details strategies for proactive communication, raising awareness through participatory media, and navigating national and international legal processes to protect customary rights and territories.

This report by Natural Justice and the ABS Capacity Development Initiative provides lessons and case studies on the development of community protocols in Africa to facilitate Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge (aTK) under the Nagoya Protocol.

This report by Natural Justice and Kalpavriksh analyzes the legal and institutional frameworks affecting Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ conserved territories and areas (ICCAs). It identifies systemic threats to these areas, including a lack of legal recognition for customary land rights and the imposition of exclusionary conservation models. While noting positive developments in international law and specific national initiatives, the report argues that state institutions often continue to undermine ICCAs through discriminatory legislation and inaccessible judicial systems. It provides comprehensive recommendations for governments and international bodies to recognize the self-determination of Indigenous peoples and support the integrity of ICCAs through both legal reform and non-legal support mechanisms.

A letter dated February 24, 2014, addressed to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim from a coalition of 168 organizations and individuals, urging the revival of B-SPAN, the Bank's Internet-based webcasting system.

This e-learning guide by Natural Justice introduces the international legal frameworks that recognize and support the traditional knowledge and customary sustainable use of biodiversity by Indigenous peoples and local communities, with a primary focus on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

This guide, published by Natural Justice, provides an introduction to the international legal frameworks that recognize and support the traditional knowledge and customary sustainable use of biodiversity by indigenous peoples and local communities. It focuses primarily on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), detailing specific articles, voluntary instruments, and other international declarations that grant rights and responsibilities to communities and governments.

The G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting Outcome Document and Chair's Summary, convened on 18 September 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa, outlines a strategic framework to address global food insecurity and malnutrition. Under the South African Presidency's theme of 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability', the ministers identified four priority areas: inclusive market participation, empowerment of youth and women, innovation and technology, and climate resilience. The document emphasizes the role of multilateral trade, public-private partnerships, and the voluntary transfer of technology to transform global food systems.

This research paper analyzes the impact of Chinese Development Lending (CDL) and World Bank Development Lending (WBDL) on the participation of 35 African countries in global value chains (GVCs) between 2000 and 2018. The author finds that while Chinese loans increase the overall intensity of GVC participation—primarily through infrastructure investments in transport and communications—World Bank loans are more effective at helping countries move toward higher value-added, upstream positions in production networks due to their focus on social sectors like education and health.

This report details Italy's foreign policy and diplomatic, economic, and security relations with Africa, with a specific focus on the Horn of Africa and bilateral ties with South Africa.