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This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines the progress of public policy regarding green bonds in 2016 and projections for 2017. It highlights the emergence of sovereign green bonds, the role of green bonds in financing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and various innovative financial tools used by governments to attract private capital for climate infrastructure.

This fact sheet by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines public sector activities and policy developments in the green bond market during 2016, emphasizing the role of governments in leveraging private capital to meet climate-aligned infrastructure needs.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines Liberia's transition to a peaceful democracy ahead of the October 2017 elections and the final drawdown of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNMIL) in March 2018. It argues that while Liberia has made progress, it requires a more coordinated approach to peacebuilding that leverages the comparative advantages of African regional and subregional organisations—such as the AU, ECOWAS, and the MRU—alongside traditional donors and the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to engage youth in democratic governance. It argues that while normative frameworks like the African Youth Charter and the African Governance Architecture–Youth Engagement Strategy (AGA–YES) exist, there is a significant gap between these theoretical rights and the practical reality for young Africans, who often face unemployment and political marginalisation.

The 'Green Bonds Highlights 2016' fact sheet by the Climate Bonds Initiative reports that 2016 was a record-breaking year for the green bond market, with annual issuance aligned with international definitions reaching USD 81 billion. The document highlights the market's diversification across countries, issuer types, and sectors, noting the significant rise of China as a leading issuer and the emergence of sovereign green bonds, starting with Poland.

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.

This report documents a national stakeholder meeting held in Cotonou, Benin, on February 16, 2017, hosted by the SEEP Network and FSD Africa. The meeting brought together 39 participants from 26 organizations—including government ministries, NGOs, and financial service providers—to explore how Savings Groups (SGs) serve as agents for broader social and economic development in Benin, specifically within the sectors of agriculture, health, and formal financial inclusion.

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 research paper examines the infrastructure financing challenges facing 54 African nations, specifically contrasting the needs and capacities of low-income countries (LICs) and middle-income countries (MICs). It argues that while multilateral development banks (MDBs) provide critical low-interest loans and technical expertise, they face increasing competition from private and bilateral investors and must tailor their bureaucratic processes and financial offerings to the specific economic realities of individual sovereign states to remain relevant.

This case study examines the development of the microinsurance (inclusive insurance) market in Zambia, focusing on the role of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and FSD Zambia in catalyzing systemic change through industry leadership and coordination.

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 report by Friends of the Earth International examines the impacts of 'dirty energy'—including coal, oil, gas, nuclear, and mega-dams—across the African continent. It argues that these energy systems exacerbate climate change, cause severe health and environmental damage, and fail to provide universal energy access, while often benefiting corporate elites over local communities.

The report critiques the prevalence of polluting energy sources in Africa, highlighting the environmental and social costs of coal in South Africa, oil in Nigeria and Uganda, and large dams in Mozambique. It emphasizes the paradox of high energy production alongside extreme energy poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa and advocates for a systemic shift toward decentralized, renewable energy.

This report provides a 2016 progress update on the first ten goals of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF). It evaluates global trends in natural forest loss, private sector commitments to deforestation-free supply chains, restoration pledges under the Bonn Challenge and UNFCCC, and the evolution of international climate finance and forest governance.

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 briefing by Friends of the Earth International advocates for a legally binding UN treaty to hold transnational corporations (TNCs) accountable for human rights and environmental violations, specifically highlighting systemic impunity and access-to-justice barriers in Africa.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimates the public and private investment required to end hunger by 2030, defining the goal as reducing the hungry population to less than 5 per cent of a country's population.

This fact sheet by Friends of the Earth International advocates for a legally binding UN treaty to regulate transnational corporations (TNCs) and end their impunity regarding human rights, environmental, and labor violations. It highlights specific cases in Latin America, Africa, and Asia where corporate power and investment treaties have been used to bypass national laws or obstruct justice for affected communities.

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.

The August 2016 Peace & Security Council Report details the outcomes of the 27th AU Summit in Kigali, focusing on the deadlock in electing a new AU Commission chairperson, a historic agreement on AU self-financing, and the AU's strained relationship with the International Criminal Court (ICC). It also analyzes the security crises in South Sudan, Libya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.