Search Climate Insights Directory

This policy brief examines Africa's role in the international nuclear security framework, specifically in the context of the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague. It argues for the development of a continental nuclear security framework to ensure that international measures address real regional threats without hindering the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the implications of South Africa's National Development Plan 2030 (NDP) for anti-corruption agencies. It argues that achieving the NDP's vision of 'zero tolerance for corruption' requires independent leadership in agencies like the NPA and SIU, transparent appointment processes to prevent political interference, and stronger protections for whistle-blowers.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies presents three plausible scenarios for South Africa's economic and political trajectory up to 2030: 'Bafana Bafana' (continued underachievement), 'Mandela Magic' (high growth and vision), and 'Nation Divided' (political instability and populist decline). Using the International Futures forecasting system, the author analyzes how leadership choices, particularly within the African National Congress (ANC) and its alliance with COSATU, will impact GDP, employment, and social stability.

This research paper examines South Africa's transition from the African Renaissance Fund (ARF) to the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA). It analyzes South Africa's role as an emerging development partner in Africa, focusing on aid effectiveness, the importance of local ownership, and the need for better integration into national aid architectures to avoid the pitfalls of traditional donor-recipient relationships.

This edition of the South African Crime Quarterly (SACQ 49) examines the failure of the democratisation of rural South Africa, specifically focusing on the North West Province and the platinum mining belt. It analyzes how the failure of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act of 2003 (TLGFA) to establish legitimate leadership and democratic traditional councils has led to corruption, mismanagement, and violent protest action.

The ISS Guide is a 2014 manual designed to help African States ratify and implement the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). It details the treaty's scope—covering eight categories of conventional arms—and provides a framework for national legislation, including export assessment criteria, recordkeeping requirements, and the use of end-user certificates to prevent illicit arms diversion.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines South Africa's post-conflict development and peacebuilding engagements in South Sudan. It highlights the historical ties between the ANC and SPLM, evaluates various capacity-building and economic interventions, and argues for a more coordinated, strategic approach aligned with African Union frameworks to ensure sustainable impact and local ownership.

A briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzing the security and political risks surrounding Mali's legislative elections on 24 November 2013, highlighting terrorist threats, separatist tensions, and low female political representation.

A research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyzing the risk of political crisis in Togo due to the failure to implement electoral reforms proposed in the 2006 Global Political Agreement (GPA) ahead of 2013 and 2015 elections.

This briefing outlines the recommendations resulting from the second training workshop of the East African Association of Prosecutors (EAAP), held from 18 to 22 November 2013 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The workshop, organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the EAAP, focused on responding to terrorism, piracy, cybercrimes, and international crimes such as genocide and war crimes.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates population projections for South Africa up to 2050, comparing the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 with simulations from the International Futures (IFs) model. The analysis highlights significant discrepancies in population forecasts, primarily driven by differing assumptions regarding international migration, and explores the impact of fertility and mortality trends, including the role of antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) in increasing life expectancy.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates South Africa's post-conflict development and peacebuilding efforts in Burundi. It argues that while South Africa was successful in early peacemaking and peacekeeping, it failed to maintain a long-term presence after 2009, resulting in missed opportunities to consolidate peace and secure economic benefits. The document uses the Burundi experience to provide recommendations for the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA).

This briefing argues that the international community should use the process of Syria's accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) as a catalyst for a broader, holistic approach to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) disarmament, specifically within the Middle East.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the causes and consequences of violent inter-communal clashes between the Konianké and Guerzé communities in Guinea's Forest Region, specifically focusing on events in July 2013.

This briefing discusses the challenges facing Mali following the August 2013 presidential election of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. It outlines the need for security reforms in the north, the implementation of the Preliminary Ouagadougou Agreement, the organization of parliamentary elections, and the execution of a sustainable economic recovery plan supported by international donors.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the vulnerability and resilience of Niger in the face of rising religious extremism and terrorism following attacks in May 2013. It evaluates Niger's three-pronged national strategy—military, socioeconomic, and legal—and examines the effectiveness of regional cooperation frameworks in the Sahel-Saharan region.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the 18 June 2013 Preliminary Agreement for the Presidential Election and Inclusive Peace Talks in Mali, the challenges facing the July 2013 presidential elections, and the transition of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) into the United Nations Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

This policy brief examines the implications of a 2013 US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operation that targeted high-level cocaine traffickers in Guinea-Bissau, specifically former navy chief José Américo Bubo Na Tchuto and army chief António Indjai. While the operation signaled an end to institutional impunity, the authors argue that without a comprehensive strategy to rebuild the national justice system and ensure democratic transitions, the shift in power dynamics could trigger further instability and military backlash.

This situation report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the conclusion of Somalia's third transitional arrangement in August 2012. It examines the milestones achieved, the challenges that threatened the process, the factors contributing to its success, and the lessons learned for future peace initiatives in Africa.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the political crisis in Guinea as of June 2013, focusing on the deadlock surrounding the legislative elections and the persistent ethnic tensions between the Peul and Malinké communities following the 2010 presidential elections.