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This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that scaling up adaptation finance is critical for Africa's sustainable development, as the region is highly vulnerable to climate change despite low emissions. It identifies significant funding gaps and barriers—including a lack of 'bankable' proposals and a perception that adaptation projects lack private sector viability—and proposes several innovations to attract both public and private capital.

This research paper, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), outlines a proposed African climate finance agenda for the COP26 summit. Based on stakeholder dialogues conducted between April and October 2021, the document identifies critical gaps in the quantum and quality of climate finance reaching Africa, emphasizing the need for increased adaptation funding, streamlined access to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the creation of national enabling environments to attract private investment.

This research paper examines the state of nuclear governance across the 16 SADC member states, highlighting the disparities in their regulatory frameworks and the need for regional synchronisation. It focuses on the safety and security of uranium mining and the transport of radioactive materials, proposing that SADC provide a platform for cooperation to harmonise policies and improve regional emergency responses.

This policy briefing examines the barriers to and enablers of private sector climate finance in Africa, emphasizing the need for supportive regulatory environments, credit enhancement mechanisms, and the development of bankable projects to meet the region's significant mitigation and adaptation funding needs.

This policy brief analyzes the relationship between Russia and the three elected African member states (A3) in the UN Security Council (UNSC) from 2014 to 2020. Using statistical voting data, the authors argue that Russia's influence over the A3 is often exaggerated, as African states remain more aligned with the P3 (US, UK, and France) and act largely independently of Russian vetoes and abstentions.

This special report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) analyzes the first and second African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) reports for Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda. It examines patterns of progress and regression in democracy, political governance, and socio-economic development, noting that while legislative improvements are evident, practical implementation often lags, particularly regarding corruption, poverty, and gender inequality.

This research paper examines the macroeconomic impact of COVID-19 on Uganda and evaluates the efficacy of the government's monetary, financial, and fiscal policy responses, noting a trade-off between business survival and increased public debt.

The report details a 2021 workshop for the Lesotho APRM Popular Sensitisation (LAPS) Project, aimed at reviving Lesotho's engagement with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) after its national structures collapsed around 2015/2016. Through peer-learning from Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, the project seeks to empower non-state actors to identify 12 key governance issues for a civil society submission by June 2022, addressing national challenges such as political instability and lack of social cohesion.

This research paper examines the lack of collective cooperation among the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) regarding COVID-19 vaccine development, distribution, and intellectual property rights, arguing that the bloc missed an opportunity to demonstrate its capacity for global crisis management.

The 2021 Women's Day Youth Statement, produced by the Youth Policy Committee Gender Working Group, outlines recommendations to achieve gender equality in South Africa. It calls for the dismantling of patriarchal systems through enhanced female leadership, intersectional approaches to oppression, and the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals. The statement highlights critical failures in the implementation of existing policies, particularly regarding gender-based violence, sexual harassment in education and employment, and the digital divide.

This statement by the Youth Policy Committee Gender Working Group of the South African Institute of International Affairs highlights the disparity between South Africa's progressive constitutional protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals and the lived reality of hate crimes, discrimination, and systemic violence they face.

This policy brief outlines strategies to enhance the science-to-policy interface in the Western Indian Ocean region to improve the governance of marine and coastal systems. It identifies key barriers to policy uptake—such as mismatched timeframes and a lack of trust—and proposes moving toward 'dialogic science-policy networks' and co-produced knowledge. The document emphasizes the need for institutional reforms in research evaluation to reward policy impact over mere publication and suggests specific strategies for building trust and managing the 'boundary' between science and decision-making.

This briefing examines the challenges and opportunities for private sector partnerships aimed at achieving a sustainable Blue Economy in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. It draws on the development of the Strategic Framework for Private Sector Partnership for the Western Indian Ocean Region, produced by the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, to argue that partnerships must move beyond viewing the private sector as a mere funding source and instead leverage technical expertise and mutual benefit to improve ocean governance.

This report examines the financial risks faced by African oil and gas producers during the global energy transition, specifically the danger of 'stranded assets' and the vulnerability of National Oil Companies (NOCs). It argues that governments and NOCs often base investment decisions on unrealistic price assumptions and calls for increased transparency and the adoption of Paris Agreement-aligned scenarios to protect public finances.

This policy brief examines the drivers of violent conflict in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, arguing that the insurgency is fueled by a combination of political marginalization, grievances over the governance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) resources, and the amplifying effects of climate-related disasters.

This research paper argues that African countries should incorporate nuclear power into their energy mixes to address severe electrification gaps and align with global transitions toward cleaner energy. The author contends that nuclear energy is a viable economic and environmental option, provided that countries develop robust regulatory frameworks and leverage cooperative regional approaches to overcome challenges in financing and infrastructure.

This report documents a validation workshop held on 8 July 2021 by the SIVIO Institute and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) as part of the Zimbabwe APRM Popular Sensitisation (ZAPS) Project. The workshop aimed to validate findings on key governance issues in Zimbabwe identified by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to inform a civil society submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the role of 'other effective area-based conservation measures' (OECMs) in Africa. It argues that OECMs, which are sites outside formal protected areas managed to deliver long-term biodiversity and socio-economic benefits, are essential for engaging local communities and achieving biodiversity targets. Through case studies in South Africa and Kenya, the document demonstrates how community-private sector partnerships can create sustainable livelihoods while protecting ecosystems, and calls for African governments to align on a community-centred conservation agenda for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes the strategic position of African states within the World Trade Organization (WTO). It argues that African nations must shift from a strategy of blocking new negotiations to one of active participation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 vaccine TRIPS waiver, the stalled Doha Round, and Joint Statement Initiatives (JSIs) on digital trade and investment.

This research paper assesses the implications of the African Peer Review Mechanism's (APRM) Expanded Mandate, a series of decisions taken between 2016 and 2019 to revitalise the agency. While the expansion has renewed momentum and increased membership, the author argues that the APRM must now consolidate these gains to avoid distracting from its core mission of comprehensive country reviews.