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This technical annex assesses progress toward the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) Goal 2, which aims to eliminate deforestation from agricultural commodity production (palm oil, soy, paper, and beef) by 2020. The report finds that current efforts by governments and companies are insufficient to meet this target, noting a stagnation in new corporate commitments and significant gaps in reporting, transparency, and the inclusion of indirect suppliers.

The April 2019 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines critical stability challenges across Africa, focusing on the fragility of peace deals in the Central African Republic and South Sudan, the trend of constitutional amendments to extend presidential terms, and the escalating crises in Cameroon and Sudan.

An open statement by Friends of the Earth International and the World Rainforest Movement, signed by over 100 organizations, denouncing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for failing to eliminate violence and environmental destruction in the industrial palm oil sector over 14 years.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International and the World Rainforest Movement, signed by over 100 organizations, denouncing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for failing to eliminate violence and environmental destruction over 14 years of operation.

A statement signed by over 100 organizations criticizing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for failing to eliminate violence and environmental destruction over 14 years. The document argues that the RSPO serves as a 'greenwashing' tool for the industrial palm oil sector, masking human rights violations and deforestation while facilitating the industry's expansion.

The September 2018 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines challenges to democracy in Africa, the complexities of peace initiatives in the Central African Republic, political instability in Lesotho, the fragile peace deal in South Sudan, and the ongoing evolution of the African Standby Force.

This March 2018 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on its struggles to implement counter-terrorism frameworks, funding crises facing the AMISOM mission in Somalia, constitutional disputes in Burundi, and structural instability in the CEMAC region of Central Africa.

This report details a regional training workshop on the management of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from February 26 to March 1, 2018. Organized by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining (IGF) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the event gathered over 50 public and private sector officials from 17 French-speaking African countries to implement the 'IGF Guide for Governments: Managing Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining'.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies provides a comprehensive overview of the legal and policy frameworks governing migration in Africa. It details the roles of the African Union (AU), various Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and partnerships with the European Union (EU) in managing refugees, internally displaced persons, labour migration, and the fight against human trafficking and smuggling.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the emergence of agricultural growth poles (agropoles) and corridors in Africa. It describes these as coordinated investments in infrastructure and industry designed to transition African agriculture from subsistence to commercial systems. The document outlines the operational challenges facing these projects, the necessity of robust legal frameworks to avoid creating 'enclaves', and a three-step model (vision, design, and implementation) for ensuring responsible and sustainable development.

This briefing paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) advocates for the widespread ratification of the Mauritius Convention on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration. The document explains how the Convention provides a mechanism for states to 'opt-in' to the UNCITRAL Rules on Transparency for disputes arising from investment treaties concluded before April 2014, thereby increasing public accountability and democratic governance in investor-state arbitrations.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines electoral trends in Africa based on elections held in 2015 and early 2016. While noting progress in democratic institution building since the 1990s, the authors identify four critical trends—constitutional manipulation, electoral calendar tampering, harassment of opposition, and low voter turnout—that threaten to reverse democratic gains. The document advocates for stricter adherence to African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Community (REC) standards to ensure credible and inclusive elections.

The document summarizes the conclusions of a seminar held on 9 December 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focused on assistance and capacity-building for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, disarmament, and non-proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons in Africa.

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 South African Institute of International Affairs examines the evolving security relationship between China and Africa. It analyzes how China is shifting from a strict policy of non-interference toward deeper engagement in both traditional military security and non-traditional threats, including the protection of its citizens, pandemic response, and environmental conservation, increasingly through multilateral frameworks.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that South Africa should expand its foreign policy by reconceiving its engagement with Latin America and Africa as a unified 'South Atlantic Zone'. The authors suggest that this framework can enhance maritime security, promote the 'blue economy' through initiatives like Operation Phakisa, and increase trade and cultural ties among littoral states.

This research paper examines the strategic importance of the South Atlantic Zone for South Africa's foreign policy, arguing that treating the region as a single entity can bridge the divide between African and Latin American engagements. It highlights opportunities for cooperation in maritime security, the 'blue economy' through Operation Phakisa, and South-South economic and cultural collaboration, while noting that current trade levels remain low despite significant potential.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the potential of bond markets as an alternative to bank loans for financing large-scale infrastructure projects in Africa. It details various bond types—including municipal, corporate, sovereign, diaspora, and Islamic bonds—and analyzes the current state of bond markets in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. The author argues that while bonds offer lower borrowing costs and avoid equity dilution, their growth in Africa is hindered by underdeveloped secondary markets, weak regulatory frameworks, and a lack of institutional investors.

This research paper by Ivan Crouzel for the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the relationship between electoral processes and political instability in Africa. It argues that elections often crystallise tensions because they are viewed as the primary means of accessing state-owned resources, leading to acute competition in fragile regimes. The author contends that technical electoral support is insufficient and must be replaced by a broader democratic governance approach that prioritises inclusive political agreements, credible election management bodies (EMBs), and multi-stakeholder conflict prevention mechanisms.

An open letter from a coalition of social movements, NGOs, and activists to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, urging a revision of the official definition of 'forests' to better reflect the biological diversity and the needs of forest-dependent communities.