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This knowledge brief by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and ESMAP advocates for a shift from traditional equipment-ownership models to private sector-led, performance-based service models to ensure the sustainable electrification of public health and education facilities in low- and middle-income countries.

This policy brief analyzes the relationship between Russia and the three elected African member states (A3) in the UN Security Council (UNSC) from 2014 to 2020. Using statistical voting data, the authors argue that Russia's influence over the A3 is often exaggerated, as African states remain more aligned with the P3 (US, UK, and France) and act largely independently of Russian vetoes and abstentions.

This case study describes AgDevCo, a subsidized impact investor and project developer targeting early-stage small and medium agri-businesses in Sub Saharan Africa to improve food security, employment, and climate resilience for smallholder farmers.

This case study describes the African Risk Capacity (ARC), a sovereign risk pool and early response mechanism that provides drought insurance to African Union member states to protect food security for vulnerable populations.

This case study describes TCX, a currency hedging solution designed to reduce currency and interest risk for energy and climate investments in developing countries by enabling long-term finance in local currencies.

The Agriculture and Climate Risk Enterprise (ACRE) is a mobile-enabled index insurance program in Africa that links smallholder farmers to insurance through the purchase of agricultural inputs. The program utilizes solar-powered weather stations and mobile money platforms to trigger immediate compensation for yield losses caused by drought, excess rain, and storms.

The ARM-Harith Cities & Climate Transition Fund (The ACT Fund) is a mid-market greenfield infrastructure fund designed to expand sustainable infrastructure in West Africa. It utilizes a blended-currency mechanism to reduce financing friction at early project stages and mobilize local institutional investment through structured exit solutions.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the intersection of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It analyzes how Chinese infrastructure investment and trade goals overlap with Africa's ambition for a single continental market, highlighting both the potential for synergy and the risks of economic imbalance.

A 450 kWp roof-mounted PV solar power plant with a 484 kWh Cegasa lithium LFP battery storage system was installed at the Benin – Niger border post in Malenville, Benin. The project, built for UEMOA by SAGEMCOM Energy & Telecom, Sahel Energie Solaire, and AEP, aims to provide reliable self-consumption power to Juxtaposed Control Stations in an area with an underdeveloped electrical grid.

This research paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) identifies key strategies to accelerate climate change adaptation across Africa. Based on interviews with African scientists and practitioners, the paper advocates for a shift toward locally-led, inclusive solutions that integrate indigenous knowledge with scientific projections. It proposes three primary investment pillars: enhancing people's skills and knowledge, building climate-resilient economies, and investing in nature-based solutions.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the divergent approaches to migration between Africa and Europe, arguing for a shift from securitised responses toward a collaborative partnership focused on development, legal labour pathways, and the regularisation of remittances.

This report analyzes regional trends in cooling access gaps for 2021, focusing on high-impact countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It highlights an overall increase in populations at highest risk—specifically the rural and urban poor—across all regions, with the COVID-19 pandemic cited as a contributing factor to rising poverty and cooling access challenges.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs assesses the economic policy responses of low-income countries (LICs) in Africa to the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that while these countries employed expansionary fiscal and monetary tools, the scale and quality of their responses were modest compared to developed and middle-income nations due to pre-existing structural bottlenecks, high debt, and limited fiscal space. The document emphasizes the need for a data-driven recovery approach, increased digital and financial inclusion, and the continued importance of official development assistance, particularly for fragile states.

The 'Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape' report analyzes financial commitments for electrification and clean cooking in 20 high-impact countries (HICs) across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia for the year 2018. It finds that current investment levels are significantly below the requirements to meet Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030, with a notable misalignment between where funds are allocated and where the greatest energy needs exist.

The executive summary of 'Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2020' analyzes energy access finance commitments in 2018 across 20 high-impact countries (HICs) in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. It finds a significant gap between actual and required investment for Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), noting that funding is poorly distributed geographically and often favors fossil fuels over sustainable, off-grid solutions.

This research paper by the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) examines the gap between the signing of regional trade agreements and their actual implementation in Africa. It highlights the 'crisis of implementation' affecting the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and discusses the potential and challenges of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The authors argue for a shift from top-down agreements to a bottom-up, problem-driven approach centered on regional public goods to ensure sustainable economic integration.

This policy brief argues for a strategic AU-EU partnership to facilitate sustainable energy transitions, emphasizing that such cooperation can provide Africa with increased energy access and jobs while helping the EU meet its carbon neutrality goals. It highlights the need for diplomatic sensitivity, tailored incentives, and a focus on 'just transitions' to ensure that fossil-fuel-dependent African nations are not unfairly penalized by European climate standards.

This July 2020 issue of the Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines critical political and security challenges across Africa, focusing on the Central African Republic's electoral turning point, the diplomatic impasse between Somalia and Somaliland, insecurity in the Sahel, and the impact of COVID-19 on governance and elections across the continent.

The May 2020 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) challenges in the Sahel, the human rights risks associated with COVID-19 states of emergency, the adaptation of peace support operations (PSOs) to the pandemic, and the economic threat to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also analyzes the potential shift in the global order and the need for Africa to reduce its dependence on external support.

This report analyzes the evolving jurisprudence of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) from 2008 to 2019, concluding that States have legal obligations under human rights treaties to implement ambitious climate mitigation (including phasing out fossil fuels), ensure inclusive adaptation, and provide international cooperation. Key developments include a 2019 joint statement by five HRTBs and the Human Rights Committee's recognition that climate change threatens the right to life, potentially triggering non-refoulment obligations in deportation cases.