Search Climate Insights Directory

This policy brief argues for the adoption of evidence-based policing in South Africa, defining 'evidence' as knowledge derived from the scientific method rather than the law of evidence or forensic science. It advocates for a collaborative relationship between law enforcement and academic researchers to replace traditional reactive policing with a cycle of targeting, testing, and tracking.

This policy brief analyzes South Africa's assumption of the African Union (AU) chairship in 2020. It examines the opportunities for South Africa to drive continental priorities—such as regional integration and peace and security—while highlighting significant challenges, including the need to build consensus among member states and the negative impact of domestic xenophobic violence on its international legitimacy.

This policy brief, produced by the Dialogue Forum for evidence-based programmes to prevent violence against women and children, identifies six systemic barriers to preventing interpersonal violence in South Africa and provides corresponding recommendations for government and multi-sectoral stakeholders.

This November 2018 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes recent activities of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC), focusing on institutional reforms led by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, political instability in Somalia, the 2018 elections in Madagascar, and the fragile peace process in South Sudan.

This report examines the intersection of gender and migration in South Africa, arguing that current migration policies are largely gender-neutral or geared toward men, which increases the vulnerability of women migrants. Through focus groups and interviews with mixed migrant women in the Western Cape, the study highlights the 'triple discrimination' of xenophobia, racism, and misogyny faced by African women migrants, and calls for rights-based, gender-sensitive policy reforms.

This report examines the challenges of reintegrating Boko Haram deserters in the Lake Chad Basin, advocating for a shift from purely military responses to a comprehensive 'desertion, de-incentivisation, rehabilitation and reintegration' (DDRR) framework. It emphasizes the need for regional coordination, community-sensitive approaches, and the demobilization of local vigilante groups to ensure sustainable interim stabilisation.

The document argues that Africa's economic growth is hindered by high fertility rates, which create a high dependency ratio. It posits that reducing fertility through family planning and education is essential to achieving a 'demographic dividend'—a state where the working-age population significantly outweighs dependents—which previously drove rapid growth in East Asia and sustained growth in the US.

This report presents preliminary findings from research into 42 preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) projects implemented by 32 organisations across Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. It examines project design, funding, evaluation methods, and implementation challenges to promote evidence-based approaches to addressing terrorism in the Horn of Africa.

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 report analyzes the conditions necessary for African states to achieve a demographic dividend, noting that most are currently several decades away due to high youth dependency and slow fertility declines. It argues that while global growth is slowing due to aging populations, Africa's expanding working-age population offers a comparative advantage if coupled with investments in contraception, female education, and basic infrastructure. The report warns that without these interventions and significant job creation, Africa will continue to diverge from global averages in income and health.

This report analyzes the police shootings at 'Scene 2' (also known as Koppie 3) during the Marikana massacre on 16 August 2012, where 17 people were killed by the South African Police Service (SAPS). The author argues that there is no credible evidence that strikers attacked police at Scene 2, and that many victims were shot while surrendering or were hit by reckless gunfire directed into a 'killing zone'. The report highlights a systemic pattern of dishonesty and collusion among SAPS members to manufacture a self-justifying narrative, often using a misleading media statement as a script.

The August 2018 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines several African Union (AU) challenges, including the shift in the AU's approach to Western Sahara, tensions over LGBTI rights and the independence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, institutional friction between the AU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the need for non-military stabilisation strategies in the Lake Chad basin to combat Boko Haram.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies compares peacebuilding and inclusivity efforts in Liberia and South Sudan to provide practical recommendations for the United Nations and other international actors on sustaining peace.

This June 2018 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the African Union's (AU) institutional reforms, the AU's evolving role in the Sahel, the collapse of power-sharing talks in South Sudan, and the future of European Union funding for the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). It specifically examines whether the Peace and Security Council (PSC) Protocol remains adequate for contemporary security challenges.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies argues that Guinea-Bissau requires a new constitution to resolve chronic political instability and institutional deadlocks. It identifies critical ambiguities in the current semi-presidential regime—specifically regarding the powers of the President and Prime Minister—and proposes reforms based on models from Portugal and Cape Verde to strengthen the rule of law and democratic stability.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies argues for a new Constitution in Guinea-Bissau to resolve chronic political instability and institutional blockages. It identifies critical ambiguities in the current semi-presidential system—specifically regarding the powers of the President and Prime Minister—and recommends structural reforms, including the creation of a Constitutional Court and the constitutionalization of the National Electoral Commission.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), developed for the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), analyzes the electoral legal framework of Guinea-Bissau. It identifies deficiencies in the coordination between electoral bodies, the financial independence of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), and the lack of demographic updates in parliamentary seat allocation. The document recommends comprehensive reforms to the electoral laws and the Constitution to improve transparency, integrity, and the eventual implementation of local elections.

This policy brief analyzes the deficiencies in Guinea-Bissau's electoral framework and recommends reforms to improve the independence of the National Election Commission (CNE), ensure demographic fairness in parliamentary seat distribution, and establish a legal basis for national election observation. It also highlights the long-standing failure to implement municipal elections despite constitutional requirements.

This policy brief analyzes the 1991 Framework Law on Political Parties in Guinea-Bissau and recommends comprehensive reforms to strengthen democratic stability. Key proposals include the creation of a Constitutional Court for party registration and dissolution, the establishment of an independent national political financing commission to curb corruption and enforce spending caps, and the introduction of a 30% gender quota for electoral lists. The document highlights a gap between existing legal provisions for public party funding and the actual lack of financial support provided by the state.

This policy brief examines the legal framework for political parties in Guinea-Bissau, specifically the 1991 Framework Law, and proposes reforms to strengthen democratic functioning, political financing, and gender equity.