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This fact sheet from the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) outlines the evolution of China-Africa relations, tracing them from historical ties to contemporary economic, diplomatic, and security partnerships. It highlights the role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the shift in China's approach from 'non-interference' to active engagement in peace and security, while noting the impact of China's 'new normal' economic slowdown on bilateral trade and investment.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) evaluates whether the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) can effectively monitor the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the authors identify strong normative and thematic alignment between the three initiatives, they argue that the APRM currently lacks the administrative capacity, funding, and technical rigor to handle the extensive monitoring responsibilities required.

This World Resources Institute working paper provides a four-step roadmap for landscape restoration projects to attract private investment between $500,000 and $10 million. It emphasizes the need for restoration leaders to adopt a commercial mindset, develop robust business plans, establish legal investable entities, and use pilot projects and performance metrics to reduce perceived risk for investors.

This report by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) synthesises seven years of experience in promoting 'climate compatible development'—an approach that integrates climate mitigation and adaptation with poverty eradication and human development. The document provides a framework for mainstreaming climate concerns into national macroeconomic planning, sectoral policies, and local governance, while emphasizing the necessity of political leadership, cross-government coordination, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. It details the financial challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy, the role of 'knowledge brokers' in translating science for policy-makers, and the importance of gender-sensitive implementation to ensure equitable outcomes.

This guide describes ENACT (Enhancing Africa’s capacity to respond more effectively to transnational organised crime), a three-year European Union-funded programme implemented by the Institute for Security Studies, INTERPOL, and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime. The project aims to mitigate the impact of transnational organised crime (TOC) on Africa's governance, security, and development through evidence-based analysis, capacity building for policymakers and law enforcement, and the creation of regional monitoring hubs.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the gap between Africa's formal legal frameworks for freedom of movement and their actual implementation. While the African Union and various Regional Economic Communities have established treaties to leverage migration for development, national interests and securitized approaches often hinder progress, with West Africa currently serving as the continent's best practice model.

This discussion brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the interactions between Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality). Based on a literature review of 27 peer-reviewed articles, the brief identifies how gender inequality contributes to food insecurity and argues that gender equality is a primary determinant of food security. It highlights the need for integrated policy-making and gender-differentiated data to ensure that efforts to end hunger do not leave women and girls behind.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the impacts of large-scale private agricultural investments on local livelihoods, water resources, land tenure, and gender equality. It argues that while such investments can create employment and market opportunities, ill-designed contracts often lead to environmental degradation, water scarcity, and the marginalization of rural communities, particularly women. The document advocates for an integrated approach to planning, utilizing a 'social tenure model' and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure sustainability and inclusivity.

The December 2016 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the African Union's (AU) role in managing continental crises. It finds that the Peace and Security Council (PSC) often relied on regional bodies rather than leading interventions. Key issues discussed include the impact of land privatisation and climate change in Kenya's Kajiado County, the contested nature of several 2016 national elections, and the AU's efforts to promote women's rights despite a perceived failure to challenge dictatorial regimes. The report also details the funding struggles of AMISOM in Somalia and the diplomatic complexities surrounding Morocco's request to rejoin the AU.

This research paper analyzes the Global Goal for Adaptation (GGA) under the Paris Agreement, focusing on the proposals of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) to achieve parity between mitigation and adaptation. It argues that while the Paris Agreement establishes the GGA, its operationalisation requires clearer guidelines on minimum information for adaptation communications (a-NDCs) to allow for the aggregation of data and the assessment of adequacy during the global stocktake. The paper highlights the significant domestic investments made by developing countries like Ethiopia and Uganda and calls for a hybrid approach—combining bottom-up national needs with top-down scientific benchmarks from the IPCC—to determine and provide adequate adaptation support.

This research paper examines the rapid pace of urbanisation in Africa, forecasting population trends and identifying the structural challenges that hinder sustainable urban development. It focuses on the emergence of megacities and the disconnect between urban growth and economic structural transformation.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the Khartoum Process, a partnership between the European Union and East and North African states designed to tackle human smuggling and trafficking. The author argues that the process is overly securitised, lacks transparency, and risks empowering authoritarian regimes in the Horn of Africa while ignoring the root causes of migration and the human rights of migrants.

This chapter examines the state of land tenure and administration in Africa, identifying systemic barriers to agricultural productivity and proposing reforms to secure land rights and improve land market efficiency.

This World Resources Institute working paper analyzes the alignment between the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. By mapping climate actions across 92 INDCs, the authors demonstrate that climate policies often generate mutual benefits for sustainable development, though these synergies are frequently unrecognized or uncoordinated at the national level due to institutional silos.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute argues that the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement represent a single project of systemic societal change. It contends that while climate and development agendas are conceptually fusing, national implementation remains fragmented by bureaucratic silos. The document outlines six key challenges—vision, integrated planning, institutional coherence, inclusive governance, finance, and monitoring—that countries must address to translate international commitments into integrated national action.

This policy brief from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides recommendations for G20 countries to reform fossil fuel subsidies. It advocates for the use of voluntary peer review processes to increase transparency, the establishment of an ambitious and defined timetable for phasing out inefficient subsidies, and the implementation of targeted support to protect the poorest populations during the transition.

This policy brief examines the misuse of electric shock equipment by law enforcement agencies in Africa, arguing that such tools often facilitate torture and ill-treatment in violation of international and regional human rights frameworks. It specifically analyzes the legal landscape of anti-torture commitments in Africa and provides a detailed case study on the South African Police Service (SAPS), recommending the prohibition of handheld and body-worn electric shock devices.

This research paper examines the role of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in advancing South Africa's developmental agenda and its strategic focus on the African continent. It analyzes the alignment between South Africa's normative goal of African primacy and its actual resource allocation, noting that while budgets face restrictions, strategic investment in African missions remains a priority to support economic diplomacy and the National Development Plan.

This research paper analyzes the state of constitutionalism and civil liberties across Africa by examining African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Country Review Reports for 12 countries. It categorizes these nations based on Freedom House rankings and identifies systemic challenges to freedom, including executive dominance and securitization.

This briefing describes the Restoration Diagnostic, a structured method developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) to identify key success factors (KSFs) necessary for the effective implementation of forest landscape restoration (FLR) projects.