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This research paper, authored by Marco V. Sánchez of the FAO and published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, argues that low-income and lower-middle-income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, can achieve significant gains in food security and economic growth by optimizing their existing public spending on agriculture rather than relying solely on budget increases.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines strategies for reducing methane emissions in global agriculture, emphasizing the need for equitable policies that balance climate goals with food security and economic development, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines how green technologies in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and green construction can address youth unemployment in Africa. It identifies significant job creation potential but highlights critical barriers including financing gaps, infrastructure deficits, and policy implementation failures.

The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) is a financial market infrastructure led by Afreximbank and supported by the AfCFTA Secretariat to enable instant cross-border payments across Africa using local currencies. It aims to reduce reliance on foreign currencies, lower transaction costs, and increase financial inclusion, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. While it has gained support from 13 African central banks and over 115 commercial banks as of May 2024, its widespread adoption is hindered by low awareness, fragmented regulatory frameworks, and inadequate digital infrastructure.

The ninth FOCAC Beijing Summit (2024) marked a re-calibration of China-Africa relations, with China pledging USD 50.7 billion over three years. African leaders demonstrated increased agency, shifting focus from raw aid to value-added trade, technological transfer, and green energy. Key outcomes include a USD 1 billion deal to rehabilitate the Tazara railway and a strategic increase in Chinese security assistance via the Global Security Initiative. The summit highlights a growing ideological and geopolitical divide, as China offers an alternative governance model to Western liberal democracy and aggressively pursues the African EV and digital markets.

This progress report by FSD Africa details the organization's efforts to deepen African capital markets to mobilize long-term, local currency finance for sustainable development. The report outlines a four-pronged strategy focusing on policy and regulatory development, market infrastructure, capital market product innovation, and convening and advocacy. FSD Africa highlights its role as a neutral facilitator, leveraging technical assistance and grants to address systemic barriers such as risk-averse institutional investors and underdeveloped regulatory frameworks, with a specific emphasis on green, social, and gender-themed financing.

The November 2024 Warming Projections Global Update by the NewClimate Institute reports that global warming projections for 2100 have stagnated over the last three years. Current policies set the world on a path toward 2.7°C of warming, while the most optimistic scenario, assuming full implementation of all announced targets, projects 1.9°C. The report highlights a critical disconnect between the escalating climate crisis and the urgency of government policy implementation, noting that while renewable energy growth is record-breaking, it is being offset by all-time high fossil fuel subsidies.

The 'SEI strategy 2025–29' outlines the Stockholm Environment Institute's strategic framework to address global environmental and sustainable development challenges. The strategy focuses on three primary impact areas—climate transitions, nature and resources, and health and wellbeing—while introducing 'accelerating implementation' as a new strategic outcome to move from policy goals to on-the-ground action.

The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol (AfCFTA DTP), adopted in February 2024, is a comprehensive framework designed to facilitate digital trade across Africa. It aims to create an enabling regulatory environment by addressing market access, data governance, and digital inclusion, while bridging infrastructure and regulatory gaps to unlock the continent's digital economy potential.

A statement by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) criticizing the 2024 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank, arguing that the global financial architecture and debt relief mechanisms favor rich creditor nations while imposing austerity on developing African countries.

This factsheet by the Institute for Economic Justice argues that a universal basic income guarantee (UBIG) is a necessary component of a Just Energy Transition (JET) in South Africa. It posits that while targeted support for displaced workers is essential, a UBIG provides a foundational safety net for those indirectly affected by the shift from fossil fuels to clean energy, builds climate resilience against extreme weather, and facilitates the adoption of sustainable habits.

This research paper by Kholofelo Kugler for the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol on Digital Trade (PCN), adopted in February 2024. The document outlines the protocol's structure, its goals for facilitating digital trade and regulatory harmonization across Africa, and the significant infrastructure and regulatory challenges that may hinder its implementation.

This research paper by Kholofelo Kugler analyzes the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol (DTP), adopted in February 2024. The protocol aims to create a comprehensive framework for digital trade across Africa, focusing on trade facilitation, data governance, and digital inclusion. While the main text is adopted, eight key annexes remain under negotiation. The author highlights the potential for the digital economy to significantly boost Africa's GDP and employment, provided that infrastructure gaps and regulatory fragmentation are addressed.

The 'Beyond Gensets' report by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) provides a comprehensive audit of fossil fuel generator sets (gensets) in Lagos State, Nigeria. It establishes a baseline of genset capacity, fuel consumption, and emissions across residential, commercial, and market sectors to inform a state-wide displacement programme in favour of distributed solar PV (DPV). The study highlights a massive reliance on self-generation due to grid unreliability and identifies high upfront capital costs as the primary barrier to solar adoption.

This research paper examines Africa's potential to develop a solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing sector by leveraging its mineral resources and solar irradiance. It analyzes the barriers to entry, such as China's market dominance and high capital requirements, and proposes a regionalized strategy to overcome these challenges.

This executive summary describes a project aimed at quantifying how inland activities and climate change impact coastal resources in several Caribbean island nations. The project utilizes hydrological modeling of 84 catchments to analyze the flow of water, sediments, and contaminants to coastal ecosystems to support sustainable management and restoration.

This research paper analyzes the current state of industrial relations between Germany and African nations, arguing that German perspectives are skewed by a paternalistic approach and a failure to recognize the continent's economic diversity. The authors suggest that Germany should shift from a charity-based development model to one focused on trade, investment, and peer-to-peer partnerships to unlock opportunities in sectors like green hydrogen and manufacturing.

The September 2024 Peace & Security Council Report examines the institutional challenges of the African Union Commission, the implementation of the Pact for the Future, the need for a continental mine action mechanism, the slow progress of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda, and the application of International Humanitarian Law in the face of modern warfare and humanitarian crises.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes how currency risk—specifically the mismatch between hard-currency debt and local-currency revenues—inhibits climate finance in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). It evaluates standard hedging tools and five innovative models designed to lower the cost of capital and deepen local financial markets to catalyze international private investment.

This report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the activities and structural challenges of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). It evaluates the performance of the fifth Panel of the Wise, the coordination between the PSC and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the resurgence of mercenarism in Africa, and the underutilization of policing in peace support operations. Additionally, it outlines the priorities of Cameroon during its chairship of the PSC.