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This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the necessity of reforming investment treaties and the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system. It argues that traditional treaties, which prioritize investor protection, often conflict with sustainable development goals, create significant financial burdens for states, and discourage necessary public interest regulations, particularly regarding the energy transition.

The March 2025 Peace & Security Council Report analyzes critical instability in South Sudan and Sudan, the African Union's (AU) struggles to manage post-coup transitions in several member states, and the shortcomings of AU election observer missions in 2024. It calls for the Peace and Security Council (PSC) to adopt more risk-based, high-level engagement strategies and improve internal coordination to prevent the fragmentation of states and the entrenchment of military juntas.

This research paper argues that ongoing unrest in Mozambique following the October 2024 general elections is driven by deep-seated socioeconomic grievances and distrust of the ruling Frelimo party, rather than electoral fraud alone. The author highlights systemic issues including high youth unemployment, government corruption—specifically the 'hidden debt scandal'—and a history of electoral misconduct. The paper notes a shift in public action, with protests now targeting private sector companies over land rights and infrastructure failures, and warns that the new government under Daniel Chapo faces significant instability unless a genuine dialogue including opposition figure Venâncio Mondlane is established.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes UN voting patterns on Ukraine as of February 2025. It highlights a divergence between European demands for Russian accountability and the Trump administration's shift toward de-escalation, alongside a more strategic, pragmatic approach by Global South nations seeking diplomatic mediation over binary confrontation.

The 2025 Policy Bulletin: Climate Finance for Development, published by the Climate Policy Initiative and partners, provides actionable recommendations for Public Development Banks (PDBs) to accelerate low-emissions and climate-resilient development. It focuses on operationalizing Paris alignment, enhancing public-public collaborations, mobilizing private finance, and supporting just energy transitions in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs).

This guide, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Porticus, provides a strategic framework for philanthropic organizations to advance the reform of environmentally harmful subsidies (EHS). It argues that redirecting a portion of the USD 2 trillion annually spent on EHS could significantly fund biodiversity and climate goals. The document outlines a theory of change based on defining problems, identifying solutions, and creating political support to open 'policy windows' for reform.

This report summarizes a February 2025 policy dialogue event organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS). The discussion focused on the African Union's (AU) ability to reposition Africa within a shifting global order characterized by geopolitical disruptions, including the 'Trump 2.0' era. The panel identified critical barriers to Africa's strategic positioning, such as financial dependency on external donors, a disconnect between aging leadership and a young population, and a fragmented approach to global diplomacy. The report advocates for institutional reforms within the AU, a shift from focusing on historical reparations toward immediate economic and security stability, and the adoption of a unified foreign policy to increase the continent's global influence.

This concept note proposes the creation of a first-of-its-kind national database in Mozambique to document and protect traditional knowledge (TK) related to biodiversity. The initiative aims to prevent the loss or misappropriation of cultural and scientific resources by establishing a secure, community-governed digital repository that bridges the gap between traditional knowledge systems and modern scientific research.

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) and E3G examines the intersection of global trade, climate policy, and the energy transition. It analyzes how the shift away from fossil fuels reshapes geopolitical power and trade flows, highlighting the disproportionate risks and opportunities for developing countries. The document advocates for proactive trade policy reforms, increased financial support, and international coordination to ensure an equitable transition that avoids protectionism and supports climate-resilient development in the Global South.

The report by the Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) analyzes the landscape of bilateral and multilateral agreements between African states and global powers to secure critical minerals essential for the green energy and digital transitions. It examines the strategies of twelve key actors—including China, Russia, the EU, and the US—highlighting a trend toward resource diplomacy driven by national security concerns and the need to diversify supply chains away from dominant suppliers.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) examines the role of green guarantees in mobilizing private capital for the climate transition in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). It identifies key structural barriers—including complexity, lack of technical assistance, high costs, and time horizon misalignments—and presents case studies of innovative solutions from organizations such as the World Bank Group, Green Guarantee Company, TCX, GuarantCo, and a partnership between Sida and IFU.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the challenges of achieving equitable access to urban green spaces in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on informal settlements. It argues that top-down planning often fails to meet the specific needs of marginalized populations and advocates for community-led, inclusive governance to improve public health and environmental resilience.

This briefing by the African Food Systems Transformation Collective examines the intersection of trade policy and the transition to agroecological food systems in Africa. It argues that current trade regimes, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), often prioritize industrial agriculture and neoliberal orthodoxy, which can marginalize smallholder farmers and undermine food sovereignty. The document advocates for a shift toward 'territorial markets' and regional trade policies that align with agroecological principles to enhance food security, nutrition, and environmental resilience.

This executive summary outlines the discussions and 2025 agenda of the 11th meeting of the San Giorgio Group, a coalition of climate finance leaders. The document advocates for a shift in narrative from 'doom and gloom' to one of economic opportunity, emphasizing the need to mobilize domestic resources through National Development Banks (NDBs) and to reform multilateral development banks (MDBs) to prioritize private capital mobilization over direct project finance.

The FSD Network Conference, held on February 19–20, 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya, focused on learnings from the Gender Collaborative Programme. The event brought together financial leaders and policymakers to discuss gender-responsive financial systems, the use of alternative data for credit scoring, the impact of societal norms on women's financial autonomy, and the role of digital public infrastructure and AI in advancing financial inclusion for women across Africa.

The report "Resilience Science Must-Knows" provides a science-based framework for decision-makers to build systemic resilience. It distills decades of research into nine core principles, emphasizing that resilience is not merely "bouncing back" but the capacity to cope, adapt, and transform. The document highlights the urgency of this approach as the Earth enters the Anthropocene, where human activity pushes planetary boundaries and creates cascading risks across interconnected global systems.

The report "Resilience Science Must-Knows" synthesizes decades of research into nine fundamental principles designed to guide decision-makers in building systemic resilience. It defines resilience as the capacity to live and develop amidst change and uncertainty, emphasizing a balance between coping, adapting, and transforming systems to ensure human prosperity within planetary boundaries.

The 2025 Sustainable Agriculture Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape identifies investment opportunities in smart farming and undercover farming within the Western Cape, South Africa. It emphasizes the need for resource-efficient technologies to mitigate rising input costs, water scarcity, and new European Union sustainability regulations.

This research paper by Kholofelo Kugler and Tani Washington analyzes the impact of the Trump administration's 2025 tariff policies on African nations. It details the structure of the new tariffs, the specific vulnerabilities of countries like Lesotho and Madagascar, the potential advantages for Egypt and Kenya, and the precarious future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

This research paper by Jakkie Cilliers, commissioned by the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (wrr), examines the potential for Africa to achieve a demographic dividend. It analyzes the stages of demographic transition, the role of urbanization, and the specific conditions—such as health, education, and governance—required to convert a youthful population structure into economic growth. The paper models an ambitious 'Demographics and Health' scenario to demonstrate how accelerated improvements in fertility and mortality could enhance Africa's development trajectory and its relationship with Europe.