The election of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is a political breakthrough in Lebanon and a harbinger of what could happen in a country long dismissed as unsalvageable. Beirut’s new leadership reflects the aspiration of a majority of the Lebanese people to live in a functioning state free from the dual drivers of its failure: political violence and pervasive corruption
The way forward in Lebanon
Middle East Institute
South Africa took on the presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2024, placing the country at the center of this group of the world’s leading economies. While the G20 aims to promote global economic cooperation and development, skepticism about the effectiveness of its initiatives remains
South Africa takes G20 presidency amid rising global tensions
Geopolitical Intelligence Services
The January 2025 Chief Economists Outlook explores key trends in the global economy, including the latest outlook for growth, inflation, monetary and fiscal policy. It discusses the impact of US policy on the global economy, investigates fragmentation trends and discusses the turbulent outlook for global trade.
Chief Economists Outlook
World Economic Forum
The Maghreb has high potential for solar and wind energy production, which could position the region as a key player in renewable energy, yet countries in the region are not pursuing a significant rollout of such safe and zero-emission electricity sources. While aware of the economic and climate potential of renewables, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and even Libya are instead demonstrating a growing interest in nuclear facilities.
Regimes in the Maghreb take a hard look at nuclear energy
Geopolitical Intelligence Services
Few relationships will determine the future of security, peace and prosperity in the Middle East more than the cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Israel and the United States. The reelection of President Donald Trump, who begins his second term on January 20, 2025, will be a dynamic factor in shaping this three-way relationship
A possible Saudi Arabia-Israel-United States triangle
Geopolitical Intelligence Services
The African Union (AU) member states will elect a new senior leadership of the AU Commission in February 2025. The commission was originally conceived as the secretariat of the AU. Over the years it has become the driving force behind the pan-African project
African Union to get a new chair: 6 key tasks they must tackle
The Conversation
Les relations entre Téhéran et Moscou ont connu un nouvel élan depuis le début de la guerre en Ukraine, passant d'une relation transactionnelle et asymétrique depuis 1991 à la construction d'un véritable partenariat stratégique. Néanmoins, malgré l’approfondissement des coopérations militaire, spatiale, cyber, policière et nucléaire civile, Moscou se montre réticent à s’engager directement aux côtés de Téhéran contre les États-Unis et leurs alliés au Moyen-Orient.
La relation russo-iranienne à lépreuve de lescalade militaire au Moyen-Orient
Institut Français des Relations Internationales
La Constitution du Niger promet de protéger les enfants, soulignant le rôle de l'Etat dans la préservation de leur santé physique, mentale et morale. Malgré cet engagement, de nombreux enfants sont confrontés à de dures réalités. Le Niger affiche le 11ème taux de mortalité des enfants de moins de 5 ans le plus élevé au monde, car des maladies évitables (pneumonie, diarrhée, paludisme…) se développent dans un contexte d'accès limité à l'eau potable, à l'assainissement et aux soins de santé.
Les Nigeriens approuvent les chatiments corporels
AFRO Barometer
The Indo-Mediterranean region faces escalating instability, from Houthi missile strikes disrupting maritime routes vital to piracy and regional conflicts in the Horn of Africa. A strategic IndoMed Quad—comprising the United States, United Arab Emirates, India, and Italy—offers a pragmatic framework to address these challenges
Reading of the Week: The Case for an IndoMed Quad: India, Italy, UAE, and US Cooperation
Foreign Policy Research Institute
The Africa Gender (AGI) is an authoritative source of data on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Africa. It draws together statistics from all 54 African countries across three dimensions (economic, social and empowerment & representation) into a single index. This enables African countries to track not only their own progress over time but also against regional peers.
Reading of the Week: Africa Gender Index 2023 Analytical Report
African Development Bank Group
Even now, in the midst of the current dreadful escalation in Israel-Palestine, there is an opportunity to change the trajectory of events and put the region on a path toward peace. To realize this opportunity, advocates of Palestinian Israeli peace must make a strategic investment in engaging with the mass media in the region.
Reshaping the public discourse is key to restoring support for Israeli-Palestinian peace
Middle East Institute
The year 2024 has been dubbed ‘the election superbowl’ due to the higher number of elections taking place in different parts of the world, including in the United States and in the European Union. In Africa alone, over 20 countries have held or are approaching elections. South Africa and Rwanda already elected their presidents, while Ghana is preparing for its presidential election in December 2024
Artificial intelligence for electoral administration and management: A pathway for Africa-EU partnership
European Think Tanks Group
Using panel data from a large group of developing economies and a Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimator, we examine the effects of trade and other factors on female labor-force participation and wage employment. We focus particularly on comparing the effects of trade openness in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Trade And Women In The Labor Market: How Different Is MENA From Other Regions?
Policy Center for the New South
L’Inde, pays promoteur du mouvement des non-alignés et ardent défenseur de l’anticolonialisme, a manifesté sa solidarité pour la cause palestinienne lors des premières décennies du conflit israélo-palestinien. Les événements du 7 octobre 2023 ont toutefois mis en exergue une proximité avec Israël. La relation indo-israélienne, dont le fil rouge est le développement du partenariat de défense, leur est en réalité mutuellement bénéfique.
Le partenariat strategique entre lInde et Israel au XXIeme siècle
La Fondation Méditerranéenne D’études Stratégiques
Next year marks 25 years since the adoption of landmark United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). A persistent question in preparing for this event is how Security Council members that support WPS can make sure their efforts lead to changes on the ground. This is central in an era of pushback against women’s rights and gender equality in many parts of the world.
Reading of the Week: Time to Push for Next Step on Women, Peace and Security: Ensuring Positive Impact for Women in Conflict
International Peace Institute
Amid the turmoil, key regional players remain deeply concerned about an uncontrollable escalation. Saudi Arabia, in particular, finds itself in a delicate position: it seeks to maintain solidarity with the Palestinian cause while keeping perspectives for a pragmatic engagement with Israel on the table. Hence, the Israel-Gaza war presents a dilemma for Saudi Arabia, threatening its national, geostrategic and economic ambitions.
In Light of Regional Escalation: Saudi Arabias Not Alone Approach
Brussels International Center
A new public opinion poll finds the Iranian population in overwhelming, if contradictory, agreement: a majority say the country’s economic problems stem from the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy decisions, while citizens favor a continued Iranian military presence in the Middle East, approve of a new nuclear agreement with Western powers, and seek to normalize diplomatic relations with the US.
Key takeaways from new polling on Irans foreign policy and regional role
Middle East Institute
Comme au Togo et au Gabon, la transition qui a eu lieu au Tchad de 2021 à 2024 a abouti à une succession dynastique.
Mahamat Idriss Déby a succédé à son père Idriss Déby Itno, qui fut président du Tchad de 1996 à 2021. Alors que la majorité des Tchadiens espéraient une alternance et un changement de gouvernance, le « système Déby » est parvenu à se maintenir.
De Déby à Déby. Les recettes d une succession dynastique réussie (2021-2024)
Institut Français des Relations Internationales
The crises of the last few years have split the states of the Middle East and North Africa into winners and losers. While major energy-exporting countries flourished as hydrocarbon prices rose, others have been hit by a succession of shocks that include rising import prices, capital outflows, and falling growth. Among the region’s faltering economies, Egypt and Tunisia have attracted particular concern in Europe, because of the risk that economic distress could lead to instability and irregular migration directly affecting European countries
Value for money. Why and how Europeans should support the failing economies of Egypt and Tunisia
European Council on Foreign Relations
Africa’s large reserves of critical minerals could boost continental industrialisation, while helping global measures against climate change. However, geopolitical tensions between the US-led Group of Seven (G7) and China are adding to some of the structural factors hindering African efforts to move up critical mineral value chains. This policy insight compares the role of Chinese actors in the DRC and Zimbabwe’s mineral sectors with emerging counter-initiatives led by G7 partners.
Africas critical minerals : Boosting development amid geopolitical challenges
The South African Institute of International Affairs
Youth form a distinct social group in Yemeni political culture. After experiencing marginalization and manipulation during the era of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the 2011 revolution gave hope for a new era of inclusion in which political parties would take Yemeni youth seriously as stakeholders and decision-makers on senior committees. However, the war that erupted following the Houthi takeover of Sana’a in 2014 erased gains made by youth during the transition period and led to divisions between youth activists inside and outside Yemen.
The impact of war on youth activism in Yemen
Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies
This working paper develops a political sociology of roadblocks to demonstrate how roadblocks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) contribute to the production and reproduction of public authority beyond their spatial and regulatory effects and while transcending particular claimants to authority.
Roadblocks at the rhythm of the country : a political sociology of roadblocks in DR Congo
Danish Institute for International Studies
Too often when disasters strike, structural impediments as well as inadequate political will and resources deadlock and disable the United Nations (UN) from coherently and effectively responding. Recent worldwide shocks with extraordinary humanitarian impacts, notably the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022), the cost-of-living crisis (2022–), and Russia’s resurgent invasion of Ukraine (2022–) have prompted calls for the Organization to play a more pronounced role in coordinating aid at the same time as other demands for UN reform have looked to confront injustices in its structure and operations.
Complex Global Shocks, Emergency Platforms, and United Nations Reform
Stimson
In an increasingly Hobbesian world that seems to be spinning out of control, there are currently some fifty state-based conflicts-more than at any time since World War II. Yet, not too long ago, an international consensus had emerged on the importance of an effective, shared response to instability-whether violent or substantial breakdowns in public order, mass migrations, or humanitarian crises.
How Great Power Competition Undermines Global Stability
The National Interest
One of Africa’s longest wars shifted toward a conclusion in July when France recognized Morocco’s claim of sovereignty over the Western Sahara. That action, alongside Morocco’s military advantage, effectively will leave the indigenous Sahrawi independence movement with no choice but to eventually settle for some form of autonomy within Morocco.
While this reality will be unsatisfactory for the estimated 173,000 Sahrawis living in refugee camps, their best option, and that of their backer, Algeria, is now to seize the opportunity to negotiate for best-possible peace terms with Morocco.
Western Saharas conflict is over. Negotiating the terms comes next
United States Institute Of Peace
Masoud Pezeshkian, a former heart surgeon, took the oath of office before the Iranian Parliament on July 30, a day after he received an endorsement for the presidency from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranians hope that the reformist president will be able to make good on his mandate to carry out social and economic reforms and alleviate some of the pain that sanctions have wrought on the country’s economy and left it with few allies.
Irans New President Takes the Oath With Promise of Reform and Outreach
The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
The African Union (AU) will attend the next G20 Summit as a full member under Brazil’s presidency in November 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, having been admitted to the group last year. This marks a significant step forward in amplifying Africa’s voice in global forums. Established in 2002 as the successor to the Organization of African Unity (founded in 1963), the AU aims to promote political and economic integration across the continent.
How the African Union Can Amplify Its Influence in the G20
Policy Center for the New South
In July 2023, Niger experienced a significant political shift following a military coup d’état. One of the effects of the coup d’état was the decision of the military authorities to abrogate the unpopular 2015/36 Anti-Smuggling Law adopted in 2015 and implemented since mid-2016.
Nigers Repeal of the 2015/36 Anti-Smuggling Law
Clingendael
Japan is stepping up its diplomatic engagement with Africa. Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko visited Madagascar, Côte d'Ivoire, and Nigeria, as part of a 6-country tour from April 26 to May 6, 2024. Her trip was Japan’s fourth high-level trip to Africa in the span of a year, including a visit by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in May 2023.
Japans High-Level Africa Diplomacy
Center for Strategic & International Studies
A number of plans have been proffered for addressing the post-conflict environment. One oft-cited proposal calls for “regional and non-regional states to implement a Multinational Authority to temporarily administer Gaza.” However, the willingness of countries in the region to participate in such an effort remains questionable, absent the setting of a timeline for the establishment of a Palestinian state, which Israel continues to resist.
A Palestinian-led approach for Gazas day after
Middle East Institute
The South African public transport sector is facing a critical crisis, marked by escalating violence and extortion within the taxi industry. This report delves into the dynamics behind these troubling incidents, shedding light on the severe impact they have on bus companies and the broader public transport ecosystem.
Crime and conflict in South Africas long-distance transport industry
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
The present report, submitted pursuant to paragraph 47 of Security Council resolution 2717 (2023), covers developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 20 March to 19 June 2024. It describes the progress and challenges in the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
United Nations (UN)
Iran’s presidential elections ended with heart surgeon and moderate “reformist” Masoud Pezeshkian winning by a margin of 3 million votes against hardliner Saeed Jalili. The elections were called to replace President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a mysterious helicopter crash in late May. The July 5 runoff followed a first-round vote on June 28 with record low turnout and inconclusive results.
Monday Briefing: How significant is reformist candidate Pezeshkians victory in Irans presidential vote?
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Social, political, economic, and environmental changes have led to rapid urbanization and expansion of cities in Arab Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, creating new opportunities, along with challenges, in the development and sustainability of cities. Emerging economic sectors in transportation, infrastructure services, and information and communication technologies will play a vital role in confronting the challenges.
Toward Smart Sustainable Cities in the MENA Region
Baker Institute for Public Policy
The United Arab Emirates signed the 2020 Abraham Accords with Israel in pursuit of strategic benefits. During the Gaza war, costs are becoming clear. Abu Dhabi shows no sign of rethinking normalisation, but it might consider smaller steps to register discontent with the Israeli campaign.
Reading Of The Week: The UAE, Israel and a Test of Influence
International Crisis Group
Working Group (SWG) is conducting a four-part discussion series aiming to ensure a diverse range of civilian voices are taken into consideration by the United States and other international actors as they develop and implement policies regarding Sudan.
How to support Sudanese civilian efforts to form an effective bloc that will advocate for peace, humanitarian assistance and inclusive democratic governance in Sudan
Wilson Center
The passing of Pension Law 319 by Lebanon’s Parliament in December 2023 was a milestone. For decades, the vast majority of the Lebanese people have lived with little or no income security in their old age, a situation that has worsened since the economic-financial crisis that began in 2019. Approximately 80 percent of the Lebanese population has no formal pension coverage.
Pension Reform in Lebanon: Good Intentions, Uncertain Outcomes
Carnegie Middle East Center
This paper examines the existing literature to clarify the positive and negative aspects of commodity financialization, drawing on global examples and specific cases within Africa. By examining best practices and lessons learned, this paper offers guidance on how African countries can navigate the complexities of preparing for and embracing commodity financialization in order to unlock its potential benefits while mitigating the associated risks.
Financializing Commodity Markets: Consequences, Advantages and African Case Study
Policy Center For The South
After the registration period for Iranian presidential candidates ended on June 3, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi stated that 80 individuals had applied to run in the June 28 emergency election to replace the late Ebrahim Raisi. Presumably, he was only counting serious registrants, as past elections have drawn vastly more hopefuls.
Most of Irans Latest Presidential Aspirants Have a Domestic Background
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
The ICC prosecutor has said he is seeking arrest warrants for top Hamas and Israeli figures in connection with crimes committed since 7 October 2023. In this Q&A, Crisis Group experts Brian Finucane, Stephen Pomper and Mairav Zonszein examine the legal and political implications.
All Eyes on The Hague: The ICC Prosecutors Move against Hamas and Israeli Leaders
International Crisis Group
South Africa’s 29 May election has been tipped as the most important since the first democratic poll in 1994 and an important inflection point. Most polls have indicated that the ruling ANC will lose its majority but retain a leading role in national government and most of the provinces.
As South Africas pivotal election looms, its citizens will play a key role in ensuring its credibility
Chatham house
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security and nutrition continues to constitute a global emergency.
Global food commodity prices reached a ten-year high as a result of the pandemic, gravely exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities and negatively impacting food security and nutrition on a large scale, particularly affecting vulnerable people and communities.
Safeguarding the right to adequate food during pandemics and emergencies: Lesson from COVID-19
International Development Law Organization & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Since the mid-2010s, the Red Sea has been at the center of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy due to the interplay of domestic, regional, and international dynamics. Economic projects under Vision 2030 have reflected Riyadh’s goals in the Red Sea and how the kingdom imagines the future of the region connecting the Arabian Peninsula with Africa.
Saudi Arabia Has a Red Sea Vision, Not Yet a Strategy
The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
Since the release of ChatGPT3.5 roughly a year and a half ago, the promises and perils of artificial intelligence (AI) have captured the world’s attention. We are currently in the midst of a vigorous debate about which AI harms to focus on—those occurring now or more speculative harms that might happen in the future.
Reading of the Week: The False Choice in the Debate Over Artificial Intelligence Regulation
Lawfare
This summer, elections for the Syrian People’s Assembly will be held in the areas controlled by the government under Bashar al-Assad. The political environment in Syria has remained unchanged since the 2020 elections.
The Syrian parliamentary elections are coming up. Should anyone care?
Atlantic Council
Gulf central banks can increase transparency by adopting credible reform agendas focused on the publication of accurate statistics, disclosure of analysis and forecasting methodology, and forward-looking explanations of policy decisions.
The Urgent Need for Transparency Reform in Gulf Central Banks
The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
In December 2023, Angola made the surprise announcement that it was leaving the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) effective January 1, 2024, severing a 16-year-long relationship. When the African oil exporter joined the producers’ group in 2007, it was the first country to do so since 1975. The relationship between Angola and OPEC changed drastically over that period.
Why Angola left OPEC?
GIS
The importance of African cities as economic, political and social actors is increasing. While Africa used to be perceived as a predominantly rural continent, it is estimated that by 2050, the urban population of the continent will increase by around 900 million people, nearly tripling
Decentralization and Its Effects on Urban Governance in Africa
French Institute of International Relations
Yemen’s eastern governorate of Hadramawt has long had a distinct regional identity and recent steps, including the signing of a Hadrami Honor Charter and the formation of the Hadramawt National Council (HNC), have underscored Hadramis’ aspirations for greater empowerment and autonomy at a time of growing competition and contestation, both locally and regionally
The Hadramawt National Council: A strategic move or a tactical reaction?
Middle East Institute
The Arab Business Legislative Frameworks (ABLF) series report offers a comprehensive assessment of 22 Arab countries covering five key legislative fields that influence the business environment in the Arab region, specifically competition, consumer protection, anti-corruption, foreign direct investment (FDI), and corporate law.
The Arab Business Legislative Frameworks
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
At the end of 2023 Egyptian people, called to the polls, reconfirmed Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as President of Egypt, resulting in the beginning of his third, six-year term. People’s Republican Party’s candidate, Hazem Omar, only achieved 4.06% of the vote and other candidates haven’t strayed far from the same result.
Facing the Future: Navigating Egypts Deepening Socio-Economic Challenges
Beyond the Horizon
In October 2023, delegations from more than 140 countries, including 20 heads of state, gathered in Beijing to ring in the second decade of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Despite the celebrations and festivities, some level of disappointment cast a shadow over the proceedings.
Tightening the Belt or End of the Road? Chinas BRI at 10
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Amid the chaos and war of the past five months, Palestinian constitutional issues have hardly been at the forefront of anybody’s mind. That is a problem: neglecting the structure of Palestinian institutions over the past thirty years has deeply aggravated—and continues to deeply aggravate—Palestine’s political crisis.
Why an Interim Constitution Could Help Palestine: The Domestic and International Payoffs
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
L’engagement de la France au Sahel est le plus souvent analysé à travers un prisme opérationnel qui se concentre sur les interventions ou les capacités militaires mobilisées à partir du déploiement de ses forces spéciales au début des années 2010 jusqu’au retrait définitif des derniers soldats français du Niger en décembre 2023.
Larmée francaise au Sahel: un corpus doctrinal à lépreuve
Institut français des relations internationales
A year after restoring diplomatic ties, Saudi Arabia and Iran still experience tensions. Conversations and diplomatic re-openings haven't translated into significant agreements due to ongoing regional conflicts and deep-seated distrust, especially concerning their allies and the situations in Yemen and Lebanon.
Saudi-Iranian Relations Restored But Remain Tense
Wilson Center
Since the beginning of 2024, Omani authorities have announced a quick succession of economic initiatives: a new sovereign fund entity, the country’s first government-owned investment bank, a major mixed-use development project in the Jabal Akhdar mountain range, and a new waterfront development project for the capital, Muscat.
Oman Capitalizes on Domestic, Regional Economic Momentum
The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
This policy-synthesis report is a comparative summary of (a) six sub-Saharan country-partner policy insights into macroeconomic crises and their management; (b) statistical analysis of the utilization of monetary and fiscal policy instruments; and (c) the relationship between (components of) macroeconomic resilience and GDP growth
Building Macroeconomic Resilience Through Counter-Cyclical Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa
South African Institute of International Affairs
On February 28, 2004, during the second extraordinary session of the African Union in Sirte, Libya, the continental body adopted the Common African Defence and Security Policy (CADSP), which set out to consolidate a continental architecture capable of advancing peace and security by addressing domestic and foreign threats.
Can the AUs Common African Defence and Security Policy Provide a Pan-African Solution to the Continents Security Challenges?
IPI Global Observatory
The recent series of unconstitutional changes of government in the Sahel has highlighted the challenges that the EU faces in balancing strategic interests with its commitment to democratic values. It now needs to reassess its strategy in the region.
Time to reshape the EUs engagement
European Union Institute for Security Studies
The government reported a participation rate of 41% in the 2024 parliamentary vote, an estimated 25 million people casting votes. However, due to press and media censorship, as well as the absence of independent observers, it is challenging to verify the authenticity of these statistics, as was the case in previous elections.
Irans Faustian 2024 Elections: Statistics Tell the Story
Stimson
In Gaza, Lebanon, and beyond, Paris continues to favor multilateral approaches that incorporate key regional partners, though it understands Washington’s paramount role in achieving regional stability.
Frances Diplomatic Role in the Middle East Post-October 7
The Washington Institute for Near Policy
On March 1, 2024, the Islamic Republic of Iran will hold elections for the sixth term of the Assembly of Experts. The major responsibility of this 88-member body is to designate the future supreme leader after the current leader’s death or when he becomes incapable of fulfilling the position’s responsibilities. At present, there is no verified information about the health of 84-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. However, since the sixth Assembly of Experts will continue its term until 2032, this next assembly may very well be charged with designating Khamenei’s successor, if the Islamic regime continues to rule Iran until then.
Moving to a post-Khamenei era: The role of the Assembly of Experts
Middle East Institute
The year 2024 promises a bumper crop of elections in Africa. National contests are planned in 23 African countries, from Comoros’ presidential election in January to Ghana’s in December. Even smooth elections are times of high stakes and tension that can put democratic processes to the test. And Africa’s elections haven’t always been showcases of smooth organization, free and fair playing fields, and universally accepted outcomes.
Reading of the Week: As Africans enter busy political year, scepticism marks weakening support for elections
Afrobarometer
In June 2023, the UN General Assembly elected Algeria to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member to serve a two-year term that begins this month. This will be Algeria’s fourth term on the council, where it will hold one of three African seats and will be the only country representing the Arab region.
Algeria Takes a Seat on the UN Security Council
The Lawfare Institute
Is it possible for Nigeria to successfully implement a redesign policy for its currency, the naira, when the informal sector accounts for 65 percent of the country’s GDP and 93 percent of employment, and when 90 percent of transactions in the informal economy are in cash?
Why Nigerias Controversial Naira Redesign Policy Hasnt Met Its Objectives
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Until recently, the ability to keep one’s thoughts private was taken for granted. But recent developments call into question this assumption, as increasingly subtle, powerful and invasive technologies are becoming more pervasive. This policy brief offers case studies illustrating how technology threatens our freedom of thought and points to some directions for research.
New Technologies Challenge Freedom of Thought: Cases and Directions for Research
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Les citoyens congolais affirment quand même qu’il est préférable pour le pays d’avoir des partis politiques d’opposition, même s’ils sont faibles, que de ne pas du tout en avoir. Ils pensent que l’opposition politique est importante pour la démocratie et présente une vision alternative pour le pays.
Les Congolais sont persuadés de limportance de lopposition sur la scène politique
AFRO Barometer
Les citoyens congolais affirment quand même qu’il est préférable pour le pays d’avoir des partis politiques d’opposition, même s’ils sont faibles, que de ne pas du tout en avoir. Ils pensent que l’opposition politique est importante pour la démocratie et présente une vision alternative pour le pays.
Les Congolais sont persuadés de limportance de lopposition sur la scène politique
AFRO Barometer
African migration continues to experience persistent upward pressures extending a 20-year pattern. Limited economic opportunity, conflict, repressive government, growing youth populations, and climate change are the primary drivers behind the approximately one million new migrants over the past year.
African Migration Trends to Watch in 2024
Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Historically, sanctions have been used against countries whose activities were interpreted as threats to peace and security, or individuals who had breached international laws or norms. However, over the last three decades, targeted sanctions have become an increasingly important tool to address organized crime.
Convergence Zone, The evolution of targeted sanctions usage against organized crime
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
The Atlantic Basin has long lacked diplomatic and political initiatives embracing it as a whole. In that regard, it stands out from other oceans, as focus on the North Atlantic has largely overshadowed the "Rest". Nevertheless, a series of recent initiatives point to a possible solution to this long institutional absence.
The rising strategic significance of the Atlantic basin
Policy Center for the New South
The Senegalese Armed Forces are recognized for their professionalism, their ethical culture, and their apolitical posture. But how did this culture emerge? How is professionalism maintained? How significant are professional military education (PME) institutions in this process, and how do they help to maintain professionalism? What are obstacles to sustaining military professionalism?
Creating a Culture of Military Professionalism in Senegal
Africa Center for Strategic Studies
European countries are rethinking their policies on multilateral development in the face of intersecting crises, geopolitical competition, and a loss of trust from the global south. The search for improved responses to global challenges such as climate change and pandemic disease has given new impetus to multilateral efforts.
Multilateral development in flux: Strengthening European cooperation with the global south
European Council On Foreign Relations
Past peace processes in Israel and Palestine failed to offer long-term solutions to the conflict, but they showed what makes negotiations work. In the latest round of hostilities in Gaza, key Arab governments are uniquely positioned to leverage relationships with all parties to lay out the conditions that could broker a lasting peace.
Arab Peace Initiative II: How Arab Leadership Could Design a Peace Plan in Israel and Palestine
Carnegie Endowment For international Peace
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 emphasize the vital role of young people in catalysing sustainable and transformative governance and development in Africa (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, 2017).
Africas youth: More educated, less employed, still unheard in policy and development
AFRO barometer
The paid care economy plays a crucial role in employing women. This sector also acts as a mechanism to reduce care work within households, which disproportionately affects women. This paper examines the evolution of the paid care economy in Egypt, over the period 2009-2021, drawing on three different data sources to assess trends in employment and working conditions.
Working Conditions in the Paid Care Economy in Egypt. Improvement or Deterioration?
Economic Research Forum
President William Ruto of Kenya recently announced that Kenya’s borders would be open to visitors from the entirety of Africa, with no visas required, by the end of 2023.A few days later, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda followed suit, saying all Africans would be able to enter Rwanda without visas.
Visa-free travel for Africans: why Kenya and Rwanda have taken a step in the right direction
The Conversation
America’s inability to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program after exiting the 2015 nuclear deal — to halt the Islamic Republic’s subsequent accumulation of fissile material and to forge a “longer and stronger” deal — should prompt Washington to reassess its Iran policy. Such a reckoning should acknowledge that the United States has never used all of the implements in its policy toolkit to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while the tools it has generally relied on — diplomacy, sanctions, and (to a much lesser extent) the threat of force — are less effective today due to a shifting geopolitical landscape.
Americas Failing Iran Nuclear Policy: Time for a Course Adjustment
War on the Rocks
The Gulf states are key lenders of last resort, playing a significant role in rescuing distressed states in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond since the 1960s. This new report examines in depth how the Gulf states have pursued bailout diplomacy to cultivate influence and shape their wider region.
Gulf Bailout Diplomacy: Aid as Economic Statecraft in a Turbulent Region
International Institute for Strategic Studies
Solange Adelola Faladé (1925–2004) was a French-Beninois doctor, anthropologist and psychoanalyst. The first woman Franco-African
psychoanalyst in France, she founded her own psychoanalytical society, l’École freudienne, in 1983. The aim of this article is twofold:
on the one hand, to introduce Faladé’s life and works, and on the other, to discuss her theory of multiracialism.
A lesson for the world: Solange Faladés anticolonial multiracialism
Taylor & Francis Online
On the Horizon offers a snapshot into emergent conflicts and crises in the next three to six months in a clear, accessible format, identifying triggers, key dates to watch and potential behaviour of conflict actors, to support global conflict prevention efforts. This edition includes entries on Bangladesh, DR Congo, Ethiopia and Somaliland.
On the Horizon: October 2023-March 2024
International Crisis Group
A senior Houthi delegation arrived in Riyadh on September 14, the first such trip since the outset of the conflict. Bilateral Saudi-Houthi talks began in earnest after a failure to extend a UN-sanctioned truce last year and accelerated after a Beijing-brokered détente between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the spring. Talks appeared to stall over the summer, but the visit suggests progress on a deal could be shortly forthcoming.
Houthis Make Official Visit to Riyadh for Talks with Saudi Arabia
Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies
A lack of strong security sector oversight institutions in Africa has hampered efforts to improve military professionalism, enabled corrupt officials, and hobbled defense and security forces on the continent. Nine military coups d’état in seven countries since 2020 underscore the continued politicization and lack of professionalism plaguing certain defense forces.
Oversight and Accountability to Improve Security Sector Governance in Africa
Africa Center for Strategic Studies
With the United States shifting its security focus from the Middle East to the AsiaPacific, other major powers are seen as potential players that might fill the void in Middle East security. The fact that India is one such player is further manifested in the recently announced India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor.
India Looks West while the MENA Region Turns Eastwards
Middle East Institute
In countries throughout Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone, gangs play a pivotal role in political violence. When they are not perpetrating political violence, the same gangs often engage in a range of illicit markets. Yet, so far, analyses have not adequately scrutinized the link between gangs, political violence and illicit markets, predominantly understanding them as separate phenomena. The intersection between them has been understated, with important implications for response strategies.
Do not come out to vote
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Thirty years after the signing of the Oslo accords, the Middle East peace process has given way to a one-state reality of inequality and open-ended conflict. Palestinians are now living under modern-day apartheid. In the absence of any prospect of reaching a negotiated end to Israeli occupation, violence is escalating across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, reaching levels not seen since the second intifada.
House in disorder: How Europeans can help Palestinians fix their political system
European Council on Foreign Relations
In recent months Iran has been engaged in a campaign to improve its standing in Asia, Africa, and Latin America in various countries that are not aligned with the West. Will this help Iran mitigate its international isolation and alleviate the sanctions regime?
Irans Global Diplomatic-Economic Campaign
The Institute for National Security Studies
Unlike with the Abraham Accords, the Palestinian issue is expected to assume center stage in any possible arrangement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Why is that, and why should Israel realize the opportunity to distance itself from the steep slope leading toward a one-state reality?
The Palestinian Authority is Playing on the Normalization Court
The Institute for National Security Studies
Cocaine trafficking through West Africa, following the well-established route from Latin America to the European consumer market, appears to be in a phase of sharp growth. Since 2016, the majority of consignments transiting West Africa begin their journey in Brazil. The Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) the largest criminal organization in Brazil – is pivotal to understanding Brazils newfound importance for cocaine in West Africa.
Reading Of The Week: Atlantic connections. The PCC and the Brazil-West Africa cocaine trade
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
The evidence-informed policy ecosystem has evolved significantly over the past two decades. Alongside an increase in the number of impact evaluations, the community of researchers and organizations in low- and middle-income countries conducting these studies continues to grow. Locally immersed researchers can help increase the policy use and utility of impact evaluation and related evidence, bringing critical insight on the priorities of policymakers and windows of opportunity to inform decision-making. Still, despite their vital role, many locally immersed research organizations encounter chronic funding challenges and other institutional and professional barriers.
Taking Stock of Organizations with Impact Evaluation Capacity Headquartered in sub-Saharan Africa: A New Database and Landscaping Analysis
Center for Global Development
The BRICS coalition is underpinned by three foundational pillars, relating to financial and economic collaboration, political and security cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The 15th Summit, centered on the ‘BRICS and Africa’ theme, decided to invite Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as new members of the group.
BRICS: 15th Summit and Beyond
Manohar Parrokar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses
This policy brief analyses the extent to which diaspora investment can support economic development and livelihoods, with a particular focus on fragile settings. Using the case study of Somalia, the brief explores some of the main advantages and risks associated with this tool.
Promoting diaspora investment in fragile settings: The case of Somalia
Clingendael
Libya’s political crisis took a new turn after its House of Representatives, based in the eastern city of Tobruk, approved a plan to appoint an interim government that would reunify the country’s two parallel executives as part of a roadmap to general elections. House members made this decision with backing from representatives of the rival Tripoli-based assembly, the High State Council, and from east-based military strongman Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Forming a Unity Government May be Libyas Best Bet for Healing Rift
International Crisis Group
This study investigates the causal relationship, if any exists, between external debt and inflation in Jordan over the period 1970 to 2020 within a multivariate framework by including other determinants of inflation. The study uses an ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration to test the existence of a long-run relationship between the inflation and its drivers. An error correction model is estimated to reveal the short-run dynamics between the series. The direction of causality is examined using Toda-Yamamoto Granger non-causality test. The results suggest a statistically significant long-term relationship between inflation and its drivers. The Toda-Yamamoto Granger noncausality test reveals a bi-directional causality between inflation and external debt, between the nominal effective exchange rate and inflation, and between money supply and inflation. Proper management of the exchange rate policy, money supply and external debt levels is crucial to control inflation rates in Jordan.
Estimating the Causal Relationship between External Debt and Inflation in Jordan: Evidence from an ARDL and Toda-Yamamoto Approaches
Economic Research Forum
Somalia grapples with unique cultural, societal, and structural hurdles that hinder women’s access to political processes. Despite introducing a non-legally binding quota, the most recent federal elections in 2022 saw a decline in women’s parliamentary representation. Beyond this, women’s leadership in public spaces remains inadequate at all levels. Patriarchal norms, gender stereotypes, and cultural barriers hinder women’s full participation in decision-making, with women predominantly perceived as homemakers, with caregiving responsibilities.
Enabling Womens Representation and Participation in Political Dialogues in Somalia
Rift Valley Institute
Renewed negotiations to reach a settlement on the disputed territory of Western Sahara could be within grasp after painstaking diplomatic spadework. But progress toward resolving the controversy over the area will prove hard to achieve without stronger U.S. backing. Widening differences between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front, as well as mounting tensions between Morocco and the Front’s main sponsor, Algeria, have narrowed UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura’s room for manoeuvre.
Paving the Way to Talks on Western Sahara
International Crisis Group
The INSS Insight “Why Don’t Arab Citizens Join the Protest Movement against the Proposed Judicial Overhaul?” attributes the lack of participation by Israeli Arabs in the protests against the judicial overhaul largely to indifference and alienation. The results of a February 2023 survey and a closer analysis, however, reveal a complex interplay of factors that hinder this sector’s involvement. These factors include geographical distance, historical experiences of repression, feelings of alienation, skepticism regarding the inclusivity of democracy, and fears for personal safety. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for fostering greater Arab participation in protests and ensuring their meaningful representation in the pursuit of social and judicial change. Furthermore, efforts toward inclusivity, dialogue, and recognizing the specific concerns of Arab citizens are essential in building a more representative and inclusive democratic system in Israel.
What Deters the Arab Population from the Protests?
The Institute for National Security Studies
This report is an attempt to do something novel: rather than explore how many people think the world is in trouble, it looks at the willingness of people in key countries around the world to support real, credible, and global solutions. The Global Governance Survey examines attitudes to the state of the world, revealing deep concern over conflict, economics, corruption, and other global issues, as well as potential global governance responses to issues of peace and security, pandemics, climate change, and institutional reform.
Reading of the Week: Global Governance Survey 2023 - Finding Consensus in a Divided World
Stimson Center
Climate change in the Middle East will amplify preexisting vulnerabilities stemming from conflict, displacement, marginalization, and corruption, while also creating new risks. Governments in the region will need to adopt more inclusive reforms as part of their climate adaptation strategies.
Climate Change and Vulnerability in the Middle East
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The kingdom has substantial gaps in its ability to handle nonconventional attacks or incidents involving the release of hazardous materials but addressing them now could improve both its readiness at home and its interoperability with foreign forces.
Bolstering Saudi Arabias CBRN Defenses
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
While the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) establishes an objective framework for the coordinated handling of the use of the sea by States in the exercise of their legislative, judicial, and executive powers, China’s legislative bodies, in enacting domestic laws for the fulfillment of treaty obligations, distort obligations in its domestic laws to secure their own national interests.
Anatomy of Chinas Maritime Strategy: Threatening the Maritime Order Through Its National Legislation and Self-Centered Interpretation of UNCLOS
International Law Studies US Naval War College
Abdullah Baabood is a nonresident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center. He holds the chair of the state of Qatar for Islamic area studies and is a visiting professor at the Faculty of International Research and Education at Waseda University in Tokyo. Recently, he wrote an article for Carnegie titled, “Why China Is Emerging as a Main Promoter of Stability in the Strait of Hormuz.” Diwan interviewed Baabood in late May to discuss his article, and more broadly to get his perspective on China’s changing role in the Middle East, particularly with regard to the Gulf countries.
Chinas Middle Eastern Moment
Carnegie Middle East Center
The number of people who are undernourished suffering from chronic hunger and a lack of access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food has increased due to trade disruptions and bottlenecks that impact prices, stringent food trade policies and supply chains, and postharvest losses. This issue requires urgent humanitarian assistance. Mitigating the problem demands practical solutions at the global level and active Group of Seven (G7) participation.
Food Security in Times of Crisis: An Action Plan for the G7
Istituto Affari Internazionali
The number of people who are undernourished suffering from chronic hunger and a lack of access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food has increased due to trade disruptions and bottlenecks that impact prices, stringent food trade policies and supply chains, and postharvest losses. This issue requires urgent humanitarian assistance. Mitigating the problem demands practical solutions at the global level and active Group of Seven (G7) participation.
Food Security in Times of Crisis: An Action Plan for the G7
Istituto Affari Internazionali
Young Egyptians’ dissatisfaction with their employment prospects was a key driver of protests in 2011 and 2013. Since then, the country’s political authorities have worked hard to create job opportunities for young Egyptians by boosting growth in the construction sector (infrastructure and public works), among other things.
Power and potential: The economics of Egyptian construction and ICT
Clingendael Institute
Young Egyptians’ dissatisfaction with their employment prospects was a key driver of protests in 2011 and 2013. Since then, the country’s political authorities have worked hard to create job opportunities for young Egyptians by boosting growth in the construction sector (infrastructure and public works), among other things.
Power and potential: The economics of Egyptian construction and ICT
Clingendael Institute
Relations between Europe and Iran are more fraught than at any time in years. Three main factors explain the friction: the impasse in negotiations over restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear deal, as Tehran continues to expand its nuclear activity; Iran’s deepening military cooperation with Russia in the wake of its all-out invasion of Ukraine; and the regime’s brutal crackdown on the anti-government protests taking place across the country since mid-September 2022.
Striking the Right Balance with Iran
International Crisis Group
The MED This Week newsletter provides expert analysis and informed insights on the most significant developments in the MENA region, bringing together unique opinions on the topic and reliable foresight on possible future scenarios. Today we shed light upon the Arab League’s decision to reintegrate Syria, thus ending a 12-year suspension and marking a tangible diplomatic milestone for al-Assad.
Syrias Arab League Comeback: Breakthrough or Premature Decision?
Mediterranean Dialogues
Overall, the Arab League summit could be an opportunity for leaders to take steps to turn the League from a symbolic regional bloc to a more influential one. This could involve increasing collaboration and coordination between Arab states in more concrete terms, as well as strengthening and expanding the League's institutional capabilities.
What Critical Opportunities and Challenges Await the Arab League Summit?
Brussels International Center
This policy brief examines the historical context and current state of corruption in Lebanon. Despite numerous promises and commitments by successive governments to tackle corruption, Lebanon continues to be synonymous with weak state institutions, bad governance, and failure to provide public services and social welfare.
Understanding the Politics of Anti-Corruption in Lebanon
European Institute of the Mediterranean
Three months ago, the most far-right government in the history of Israel was sworn in by the Knesset under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu. Notably, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Kahanist leader of Jewish Power and former convict for racist incitement, has been appointed the head of the newly created Ministry of National Security. Additionally, Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the settler-based Religious Zionism party, has been given major control over the administration of the occupied West Bank as the head of the Finance Ministry.
Shifting Paradigms for Israel-Palestine: Why the EU Must Answer the Wake-Up Call Now
Istituto Affari Internazionali
The Heritage Institute’s State of Somalia (SOS) report focuses on the main developments and key trends in politics, security, the economy, social services and the role of external actors in 2022. The objective of this annual report is to document key events that shaped Somalia throughout the year as well as provide analysis and context for policymakers, academics and the general public in order to support peace and state building efforts in the country.
State of Somalia: 2022 Report
Heritage Institute
Increasing strategic competition among major powers has had a negative effect on the efficacy of formal multilateral cooperation. This has also been reflected in informal forums such as the G7, G20 and BRICS. Yet some new dynamics have emerged.Since Russia was excluded from the G8 in 2014, the G7 has become a key forum for Western cooperation. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further geared the group towards a stronghold of Western economies and democracies.The BRICS group has continued to meet at leaders’ level, and has consolidated its position. Despite variation in its members’ interests, the group aims to balance the G7, and its importance for China and Russia has been elevated.
The changing dynamics of the G7, G20 and BRICS: Informal multilateral cooperation is increasingly important in an era of strategic competition
Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Beyond having an internationally recognised government, Libya is in dire need of a legitimate administration to take it a step away from political stagnation and division. A legal framework and a roadmap associated with a timetable for Libya’s elections in 2023 is therefore paramount, although caution is required – as to not be too hasty. Holding elections without an implementable constitutional basis and without unifying key state institutions like financial institutions (central bank), security institutions and the executive branch, will be counterproductive.
Resolving Libyas Legitimacy Crisis: 2023 Elections as a Pathway for Peace and Democratisation?
Istituto Affari Internazionali
This study explores Southwest’s attempts to form local district councils through indirect elections mediated by elders – a process that is more democratic than the practice of direct appointments. It investigates phases of slow stabilization and reconciliation through indirect election. The paper also examines organic approaches to political inclusion, the role of technical expertise in conducting indirect election at the district level and illustrates major post-election hurdle and concludes with recommendations.
District council formation through indirect election in southwest state of Somalia: A means to democratization
Heritage Institute
Western capitals were caught unaware by the announcement in Beijing last month of the breakthrough Iran-Saudi deal to restore diplomatic relations.
The China-brokered landmark agreement certainly has the potential to spark significant changes - both direct and indirect - across the Middle East. Less visible but equally significant are the myriad ways in which the breakthrough deal is likely to hasten a global re-ordering of state-to-state relations and regional alliances, thereby accelerating the rising power and clout of the Global South.
The China-Brokered Iran-Saudi Deal Could Re-Order Global Politics, Not Just the Middle East
Brussels International Center
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) must adopt a flexible Human Security (HS) approach that can adapt to changing security concerns and addresses the concerns of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) community. Failure to address these concerns could put NATO at risk of falling short of its aspirations for both WPS and HS, potentially jeopardizing the safety of NATO citizens during active conflicts or crises.
Forward Together: Women, Peace, & Security & Human Security at NATO
Stimson Center
This report shows that ongoing transformations in multilateral cooperation and intensifying global challenges are making multilateralism vulnerable to strategic competition when it comes to its conduct, fundamental norms, and in respect of its aims. The report contends that while formal multilateral institutions are not forsaken in principle, alternative forums are often prioritised in practice. Different powers utilise both the UN system, as well as alternative institutions, broad and more narrow-based informal institutions such as the G Groups, and ad hoc formations. Regional multilateralism is gaining ground as an attractive alternative form of cooperation.
Multilateral cooperation in an era of strategic competition: Options for influence for Finland and the European Union
Finnish Institute of International Affairs
The 2021 judgment of the EU General Court holds that ‘Western Sahara’ is separate from Morocco, imposing on Morocco a responsibility to secure Polisario’s consent to its exploitation of natural resources in ‘Western Sahara’ and its adjacent waters, allegedly based on the UN Friendly Relations Declaration, which states that a non-self-governing territory has “a status separate and distinct from the territory of the State administering it.” The phrase is originated in the General Assembly resolution 1541 (XV) in 1960, referring to “a territory which is geographically separate and is distinct ethnically and/or culturally” from the administering State.
The 2021 EU General Court Decision on Polisario v Council: Some Legal Considerations on the Status of the Moroccan Sahara
Policy Center Of The New South
European policymakers increasingly view Africa as a theatre of strategic competition with rising powers. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dramatically raised the stakes of geopolitical competition. It has heightened perceptions that Western interests are being challenged by rival actors, including in Africa. However, such interpretations tend to obscure Africa’s growing autonomy in an increasingly competitive international order.
Strategic Competition and Cooperation in Africa
Institute for Security Studies
Since the election of al-Sisi in 2014, the main drivers of Egypt’s economy have been its construction and extractive sectors. Based on official data, these sectors have done a decent job in boosting the country’s GDP that has increased faster than that of many of Egypt’s neighbours.
The Egyptian political economy under al-Sisi
Clingendael
In Africa and the Arab World, throughout different stages of the war in Ukraine, the public debate and the popular discourse around it showed substantial sympathy towards Russia. While disinformation played a part in shaping those sentiments, the pro-Russian discourse cannot be reduced to just that. African and Arab social media users tend to adopt pro-Russian narratives on the Ukraine war when they resonate with locally relevant, long-established issues, worldviews, grievances, and prejudices.
Fertile ground: How Africa and the Arab World found common language with Russia on Ukraine
Polish Institute of International Affairs
In Sudan, the revolutionary upsurge of 2018/2019 signaled the implosion of the country’s postcolonial political order. The political parties of old have seen their social bases wither away and their ideological hold over the Sudanese people corrode under the sustained pressure of a hyper-extractive political economy.
The Price of Life: Revolutionary Agency and Political Impasse in Post-Bashir Sudan
Rift Valley Institute
As the 37th Israeli government begins its term of office, it faces a host of national security challenges, from the Temple Mount, to the Palestinian theater, the security challenges in the north, and the complex threat from Iran, most of which have a significant international dimension. Against the background of the strategic competition between the great powers, the war in Ukraine, and the struggle for technological-economic dominance, the new government must navigate prudently between the United States, Israel’s great strategic ally; and China, its significant economic partner, Russia, its military neighbor in the north; and other important countries in Asia and Europe.
Whither the China Policy of the Sixth Netanyahu Government?
Institute for National Security Studies
“End the summer camp” was how Minister of National Security Ben-Gvir related to the changes he plans in the conditions of the security prisoners incarcerated in Israel. There is no question that reforms here are in order. However, given that the issue of prisoners is a highly sensitive issue and enjoys a consensus throughout Palestinian society, it is quite possible that a worsening of the prisoners’ conditions might lead to escalation, perhaps even to a severe degree. How should Israel act?
The Incarceration of security prisoners - What is possible, and what is correct
The Institute for National Security Studies
This synthesis report offers an examination of national development banks (NDBs) in Africa, drawing from case studies in four countries: Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda and Tunisia. It discusses their evolution in governance structures and operations, their financial and developmental performance, and the challenges they face within their operating environments.
Challenges and Changes: The Political Economy of National Development Banks in Africa
African Center fo Economic Transformation
According to the Puntland voter registration law (2021), to hold credible and transparent elections, voters must be registered to vote in a process managed by the Transitional Puntland Election Commission (TPEC). The registration process is one of the most challenging phases in the election process, as it often involves numerous technical and administrative tasks that require resources and political will, which can lead to delays in the process. 0n 25th May 2022, TPEC released the schedule for the local elections, which included a list of proposed activities from May 2022 to February 2023.
Initial Phase of Puntlands Voter Registration Process
Rift Valley Institute
In October 2022, the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was convened, inaugurating the third term of Xi Jinping as CCP chairman (the de facto highest position in the country). One month before, in September, a summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. President Xi, who had frozen his foreign trips since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, finally left China to participate in this face-to-face meeting to restart putting his “great power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics” into practice There is no doubt that China – the second largest economy in the world, which is proud to be “different” from Western civilisation – is challenging the global order, at least to some extent. The issue is, what direction will China’s foreign policy take in the future? How will it affect the existing international order?
Fighting Against Internal and External Threats Simultaneously Chinas Police and Satellite Cooperation with Autocratic Countries
Istituto Affari Internazionali
In recent days, Jordan has led the way in Arab countries’ rapprochement with Syria. But Amman’s experience shows that, without regional coordination, bilateral normalization can win only limited concessions.
Jordans Experiences Highlight the Limitations of Renewed Ties With Syria
Carnegie Middle East Center
The Arabian (Persian) Gulf region has been at the center of global attention for the past century. Due to its strategic geographic location and rich hydrocarbon resources, the Gulf has played a key role in political and economic developments around the world. The Gulf states have relied on their abundance of hydrocarbons, particularly oil, to pursue economic and political activities that serve their national interests — in many cases fueling geopolitical tensions with other global actors. In order to mitigate regional and global conflict, it is imperative to recognize and address the factors that drive the evolution and development of the Gulf oil strategy.
How Economic and Political Factors Drive the Oil Strategy of Gulf Arab States
Baker Institute for Public Policy
Despite serious challenges, Africa's youthful electorates vie to have their voices heard so as to shape a more democratic, stable, and prosperous future.Spanning West, Central, and Southern Africa, the seven elections in Africa this year comprise some of the most populous countries on the continent. This includes Nigeria, which kicks off the electoral calendar in February, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with elections slated for late December. Collectively, the countries selecting national leaders in 2023 represent roughly a third of the continent’s population.In five of the elections (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe), incumbents are seeking a second term. There is only one open seat, in Nigeria, as President Muhammadu Buhari steps down after his constitutionally mandated second term.
Africas 2023 Elections
Africa Center For Strategic Studies
Anecdotal evidence suggests growing numbers of migrants intercepted at sea by the Tunisian coastguard return to Libya via smuggling. This article empirically document the experiences of “rescued” migrant mothers who consider and/or purposely re-engage in irregular, highrisk returns involving crossing the Tunisian border back into Libya.
A Mothers Choice: Undocumented motherhood, waiting and smuggling in the Tunisian Libyan borderlands
Danish Institute for International Studies
Washington will likely call upon Israel to participate in future multinational coalitions, which will entail IDF forces deploying to foreign countries as part of US-led operations. Israel has not participated in past coalitions due to regional threats and Washington’s desire to avoid complications with allied majority Muslim states. These two concerns were significantly diminished by the Abraham Accords, increasing the likelihood that Washington will seek Israel’s direct support in future campaigns.
Israels Future in Multinational Coalitions
The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies
Morocco has successfully begun to connect its once-neglected eastern region to domestic and global economic resources. But it is vital to ensure that the benefits these initiatives bring are fairly reinvested in local communities.
Defying Peripherality. How Morocco Has Sought to Integrate Its Eastern Borderlands
Carnegie Middle East Center
Since Tunisia’s President Kais Saied began consolidating his rule in July 2021, the country’s once-strong civil society has been plagued with divisions. The former strength was a product of the post-Arab Spring period, when Tunisia emerged as a paragon for democratic transition and NGOs proliferated, including labor unions, human rights groups, and school charities. These civil society groups drew Western support based on the hope that they would help propel the state’s transition away from authoritarian rule.
Civil Society in Tunisia: Resetting Expectations
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
The MENA and Sahel regions are suffering from climate-induced phenomena that are accelerating societal tensions and translating into insecurity. These regions are safe havens for violent extremism and non-state actors, who easily recruit young men willing to engage in behavioural radicalisation to sustain their families. Whilst in Syria, ISIS has been weaponizing water and resources to intimidate populations and coerce their enemies, in the Lake Chad Basin Boko Haram is recruiting members of local communities deprived of their harvest and fishing due to climate unpredictability and the disruption of the water cycle.
The nexus between climate change and terrorism: An analysis of ISIS weaponization of water in Syria and Boko Haram activities in the Lake Chad Basin
Finabel - European Army Interoperability Centre
In late December, the UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its opinion on the legality of the "ongoing Israeli occupation." The opinion will likely include critical statements about the illegality of Israel's conduct in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and about its "annexation" moves. Harsh assertions by the Court could significantly damage Israel's foreign relations, be used as ammunition by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and even possibly affect the investigation into Israel's case at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The UN General Assembly refers Israel to the Hague
The Institute for National Security Studies
In recent days, Jordan has led the way in Arab countries’ rapprochement with Syria. But Amman’s experience shows that, without regional coordination, bilateral normalization can win only limited concessions.
Jordans Experiences Highlight the Limitations of Renewed Ties With Syria
Carnegie Middle East Center
Based on interviews with actors closely involved in the discussions, this Weekly Review examines the influence of international law in the negotiations on South Sudan’s permanent constitution-making process relating to public participation. While international law was infrequently referred to in the negotiations, much of what was discussed and agreed resonates with international law.
South Sudans Permanent Constitution-Making Process Negotiations: The Influence of International Law and Public Participation
The SUDD Institute
The current bleak outlook for the world economy, with a likely recession in major economies, high inflation, rising interest rates, and slow productivity growth, will adversely emerging market and developing countries (EMDE) over the next few years. Unfortunately, these countries emerged from COVID-19 with less fiscal space and rising debt service payments.
Sailing on a Storming Sea: Policy Challenges for Developing Countries 2022-2025
Policy Center for the New South
This report is a product of the Somali Dialogue Platform. The Somali Dialogue Platform is a programme which supports Somalis to achieve consensus on contentious political issues and is implemented by the Rift Valley Institute. The Somali Dialogue Platform is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Somalias 2021-22 Political Transition: Lessons Learned For Future Democratization
Rift Valley Institute
Taken together, some recent events represent a watershed in the global geopolitical landscape. The strategic repositioning of the US towards the Indo-Pacific, NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Russian invasion of Ukraine highlights the need for EU member states to invest more and better in the defence sector. Industrial cooperation between national champions is pivotal to reduce unnecessary duplications and foster interoperability.
Reading of the week; Naval Defence Cooperation in the EU - Potential and Hurdles
Istituto Affari Internazionali
South Sudan is a country with longstanding history of international assistance. In fact, her hard-won independence was birthed in part through external financial and political backstopping. Certain international actors have since deepened their engagement by supporting constitutional designs dating as far back as 2005.
Re-thinking approaches to the international constitutional assistance in South Sudan
The Sudd Institute
Climate change is increasing the frequency and scope of security challenges. This calls for greater collaboration across formerly often siloed policy fields, as illustrated in the context of climate change adaptation by Swiss Civil Protection and Switzerland’s priorities on the UN Security Council
Readings of the Week: The Climate Change. Security Interface
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
In the first two weeks of November 2022, all eyes were riveted on Sharm El-Sheikh. This year, Egypt welcomed world leaders to discuss climate actions at the 27th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP) between the 6th and the 18th of November. Following the green momentum the world displayed during COP26, with the formulation of more ambitious commitments on finance, coal, carbon neutrality, and deforestation, the objectives of this year were announced loud and clear: “COP27 must be remembered as the ‘Implementation COP’ - the one where we restore the grand bargain that is at the centre of the Paris Agreement”.
Decoding the Achievements and Failures of the Cop27: The Way Forward for More Effective Global Climate Policy
Brussels International Center
The visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia, which included three summit meetings, moved relations between China and the Arab world at least one step forward. Alongside signed agreements and partnerships agreed on by both sides, the visit had a substantial symbolic side aimed at projecting independence, consolidating Saudi Arabia’s leading status among Arab states, and enabling Mohammed bin Salman to demonstrate his leadership to his people prior to his accession to the throne.
Xi of Arabia - Enjoying the Favor of the King
Institute for National Security Studies
The Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) measures the extent to which African countries are open to visitors from other African countries. The index analyzes each country’s visa requirements to show which countries on the continent facilitate travel to their territory.
The 2022 Africa Visa Openness Index report shows African countries making progress in their freedom of travel policies, most of which had been severely curtailed by the Covid-19 crisis.
Reading of the Week: Africa Visa Openness Report 2022
African Development Bank Group
Among other social barometers, the results of the November 1 elections to the 25th Knesset provide an insight on relations between Israel’s Jewish majority and Arab minority. Arab voter turnout was higher than expected, indicating an ongoing motivation of the majority of Arab citizens to integrate into the country's fabric. At the same time, the rate of those who abstained from voting or voted for the nationalist Balad party in higher numbers than before also suggest a sense of apathy toward the Israeli political system and a growing inclination toward nationalism and segregation.
Arab Society in Israel and the Elections to the 25 Knesset
The Institute for National Security Studies
Embarking on his third term in power, Xi Jinping is firmly in control of China’s foreign policy, which is expected to accentuate the enlistment of African support for reshaping global institutions and validating China’s governance norms. Xi Jinping enters his third term as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Chinas Deepening Ties to Africa in Xi Jinpings Third Term
Africa Center For Strategic Studies
Parliamentary systems allow for majority coalitions to govern, made up of parties that are not always required to get along - let alone agree on every issue. The whole purpose of crossing a majority threshold (in Lebanon’s case 64 seats out of a 128-seat chamber) is to set aside smaller differences and work together through an alliance.
Alliance: Lebanon needs Change and Opposition to work together
Middle East Institute
The Israeli public voted decidedly to the right in the recent Knesset elections. While the clear outcome will resolve the crisis in the political system, reflected in the five rounds of elections in three and a half years, it brings with it significant challenges for many domestic issues, such as the relations between the Jewish majority and the Arab minority, and Israel’s democratic character, as well as for foreign policy issues, including relations with the United States and the policy toward the Palestinians.
The Israeli Electorate from the Perspective of the 2022 Elections
The Institute for National Security Studies
The Syrian state’s persecution of the population has been well documented throughout the country's more than 11-year conflict through a voluminous stream of victims’ testimonies. Less well understood is the logic behind the violence, who the regime targets and why they inflict such harm. Why do violence and persecution continue against some groups, even after a reduction in immediate conflict hostilities or when they now live as refugees outside of the country?
Understanding the logic behind the Syrian regimes violence
Middle East Institute
Despite optimism that a breakthrough was imminent in the talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), indirect talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled again. While the parties disagree on the extent of sanctions relief and what legal and political mechanisms are necessary to ensure the revived agreement's durability, many observers consider Iran's insistence on the settlement of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) probe into its past nuclear activities as the main roadblock to the restoration of the nuclear deal.
The Final Hurdle: How to Secure the Iran Nuclear Deal
The National Interest
The results of the Knesset elections did not surprise the Palestinians, who have followed the changes in Israeli society over the last decade or more vis-à-vis the Palestinian issue, and especially the rising support for parties opposed to a political resolution. In this context, they increasingly question the benefit of continued reliance on the process created with the Oslo Accords. Herein, however, lies the trap: the establishment of the Palestinian Authority was an achievement worth maintaining, yet this achievement has not produced an independent Palestinian state.
Standing Firm? The Palestinians after the November 2022 Elections
The Institute for National Security Studies
Michel Aoun ended his term as Lebanon’s President before any replacement was selected. Once again, this led to a governmental vacuum, which is more serious now than in the past because the present government is a transitional government. The current composition of Parliament, which is responsible for choosing the president, and the internal disputes among its members make it difficult to agree on and select a candidate.
The governmental Vacuum in Lebanon
The Institute for National Security Studies
Over the past two decades, the structure of Africa's sovereign debt has been changing in many important ways. For one, increasing access to international capital markets has meant that many countries now hold a significant share of debt owed to private bondholders and traded in secondary debt markets around the world.
Debt Distress and Recovery Episodes in Africa: Good Policy or Good Luck?
African Development Bank Group
This paper assesses the extent to which Senegal’s macroeconomic policy actions both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic have been in line with its commitments to its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets. For the past decade the country has developed various policies to address the effects of climate change.
Is Senegal on the right track to achieve its NDC commitments
The South African Institute of International Affairs
Saudi Arabia’s security-oriented approach to Yemen has foundered. The Saudi-led coalition has failed to defeat the Houthis militarily or to restore the government the group toppled. Moreover, Saudi militarization of the border with Yemen has damaged the Yemeni economy with negative consequences for Saudi Arabia. Crucially, Saudi Arabia’s security is contingent on Yemen’s stability and economic prosperity.
The Pitfalls of Saudi Arabias Security-Centric Strategy in Yemen
Carnegie Middle East Center
Ever since the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was conceived in 2011 under Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Sudan has adopted a pragmatic stance vis-à-vis the dam, playing an integral role in a 2015 Declaration of Principles. Signed in Khartoum, the declaration promised to cooperate in good faith over the dam’s construction while also looking to alleviate concerns in Egypt over its water supply.
Water Politics. How Sudans Turbulent Transition toward Democracy Has Led It to Compromise Its Own Well-Being over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Istituto Affari Internazionali
The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have shaken confidence in the reliability of fragmented global value chains (GVCs) as a means to integrate the global economy. Supplychain disruptions during the pandemic boosted the voices of those claiming that cost optimization achieved through GVCs came at the cost of reduced resilience in the face of localized shocks that tend to affect whole chains. The war in Ukraine, meanwhile, has raised the profile of geopolitical risks as an additional factor to be reckoned with in the configuration of – and reliance on – GVCs. The pandemic and the war, followed by commodity price shocks and together with more frequent weather-related shocks, have comprised what has been called a “perfect storm” (Canuto, 2020) hitting the global economy
Pandemic, War, and Global Value Chains
Policy Center for the New South
Climate change, combined with extensive environmental destruction caused by nearly a decade of conflict, threatens to exacerbate existing tensions in Yemen. The conflict has contributed to the decimation of critical resources, such as water and agricultural land, and led to the loss of livelihoods and forced displacement. All these factors have the potential to lead to new conflicts in Yemen, warns Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) in its new report.
Reading of the Week. Risking the Future. Climate Change, Environmental Destruction, and Conflict in Yemen
Center for Civilians in Conflict
The chemicals sector is one of the three highest-emission industrial sectors globally and within the United States. It is far more diversified in terms of products and processes than the other two leaders, steel and cement, and therefore its solution set for emissions reduction is likely to be more diverse as well. George Mason University’s Center for Energy Science and Policy recently published a first-of-its-kind, bottom-up model of the cost and emissions impact of decarbonizing
a major chemical industry value chain, “Pathways to Decarbonize the PVC Value Chain in 2050.”
Decarbonizing the Chemical Industry. Policy Insights from a Case Study of PVC
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
In the chaotic global post-COVID-19 economy, with the ongoing war in Ukraine, the challenge of adjusting to the global stagflation that is engulfing the world is particularly hard for the oil importing countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
A regional commission of experts, working under the auspices of the Economic Research Forum (ERF), and the Finance for Development Lab (FDL), was asked to evaluate the macro-economic risks ahead, and to make recommendations on the best course correction to avoid them.
After an elaborate process of analysis, consultation, and deliberation, the Commission came up with four sets of recommendations, which are developed in this report.
Embarking on a Path of Renewal, MENA Commission on Stabilization and Growth
Economic Research Forum
La Chine et l’Afrique entretiennent des relations fortes depuis la vague des indépendances africaines des années 1960. Néanmoins, les échanges sino-africains ont connu un essor sans précédent depuis la fin des années 1990 et ont été accompagnés de la montée d’un discours sur le partenariat « gagnant-gagnant » entre la Chine et l’Afrique. Pour de nombreux gouvernements africains, la Chine représente une alternative viable aux bailleurs de fonds et aux partenaires commerciaux traditionnels de l’Afrique.
Reading of the Week: Les influences chinoises en Afrique
Etudes de L'ifri
Gossip about Palestinian succession—who will take over Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’s assorted job titles—is a staple of speculation among journalists, diplomats, and some Palestinians. Over the last year, the conversation has seemed to take a less speculative turn as a variety of longtime national leaders have been edged aside or have publicly broken with Abbas, the 87-year-old leader who serves as president of Palestine, president of the Palestinian National Authority, chair of the Executive Committee of the ruling Fatah movement, and chair of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
A Procedural Guide to Palestinian Succession: The How of the Who
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The surprise conviction in 2020 of businessman Braima Seidi Bá, arguably Guinea-Bissau’s most prominent cocaine trafficking kingpin according to law enforcement investigations, was heralded by the international community as a turning point in the West African state’s response to the cocaine economy, which had become in some respects all too synonymous with the country for several years.
Grim outlook for Guinea-Bissau elections: The fall and rise of Seidi Ba
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
La plus grande mission onusienne jamais déployée, la Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies pour la stabilisation en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO) est actuellement dans un processus de retrait. Les détails des modalités de ce retrait, son calendrier précis et la nature exacte de ce qui prendra place ensuite font encore l’objet de nombreux échanges dont la teneur est bien entendu influencée en temps réel par la situation sur le terrain, dans l’Est de la RDC, autant que par l’évolution de la situation politique à Kinshasa à l’approche des élections prévues en 2023.
Défis et enjeux du plan de retrait de la MONUSCO
Observatoire Boutros-Ghali
In 2012, Tunisia announced the establishment of a free trade and logistics zone (FTZ) in Ben Guerdane, near the Libyan border. The aim is to develop marginalized southeastern border regions and formalize informal economic actors. However, the plan has stalled due to institutional resistance, political divisions, and an incapacity to exploit international geopolitical rivalries. If this persists, the project may become irrelevant because of emerging FTZs in Libya, denying Tunisia revenues its ailing economy needs.
Reckless Abandon: Why Tunisia Can No Longer Delay a Border Free Trade Zone
Carnegie Middle East Center
The civil wars in Libya, Syria and Yemen arose from the Arab Spring that, in turn, was triggered by a broken social contract. In the old social contract, the state would provide free health and education, subsidized food and fuel, and jobs in the public sector, in return for which citizens would keep their voices low, despite widespread cronyism and corruption.
A new social contract for post-conflict Middle East and North Africa
Economic Research Forum
The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2625 (2022), by which the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to 15 March 2023 and requested the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the Mission’s mandate every 90 days. The report covers political and security developments, the humanitarian and human rights situation and progress towards the implementation of the Mission’s mandate between 1 June and 31 August 2022.
Report of the Secretary-General: The Situation in South Sudan
United Nations
Public utilities in most African countries have failed to deliver adequate, reliable, and competitively priced electricity to support economic growth and improve the welfare of their populations. Despite more than two decades of power sector reforms, outcomes have been varied and often disappointing. A comparative case study analysis of electric utilities in three East African countries (Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda) explores the drivers of utility performance.
A comparative analysis of electric utilities in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda
Africa Energy Portal
The ceasefire prevented the situation from escalating into a full-scale war, which would have had devastating consequences. It also allowed for the resumption of the measures implemented over the past year that have resulted in much-needed economic relief to the people in Gaza. But a ceasefire is limited to ending immediate hostilities; the underlying drivers of the conflict are still unresolved
Resolution 9116 (2022), Security Council: The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question
United Nations
It has been a year since President Ebrahim Raisi assumed power in Iran. This has been perhaps one of the most tense and uncertain years an Iranian president has encountered since the establishment of the revolutionary regime in 1979. Major challenges were inherited by Raisi upon assuming office; and these were not outcomes of his administration’s policies nor could they be avoided or resolved quickly.
One Year On: Iran Since President Raisi
Al Jazeera
Since the beginning of the new millennium, political and economic relations between China and Africa have intensified, leading in October 2000 to the establishment of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation to promote industrialisation, infrastructure connectivity and facilitate trade. Between 2001 and 2007, trade between China and Africa increased by 681% and, by the end of 2009, China had overtaken the United States, becoming Africa’s largest trading partner. In 2020, according to Johns Hopkins University, the value of China–Africa trade
totalled USD176 billion.
Chinese labour practices in six southern African countries
Institute For Security Studies
Somalia’s constitution-making process has become a never-ending and an expensive project throughout the last two decades. The Transitional National Charter, which established the third republic in Djibouti in 2000, called for a new constitution. In 2004, the Transitional Federal Charter established a constitution-making process for the country. Somalia’s governments have established various committees: the Independent Federal Constitution Commission, the Committee of Experts, the Technical Committee, and the Technical Facilitation Committee.
Reading Of The Week: On Reviewing Somalias Provisional Constitution Background, Challenges, and Future Prospects
Heritage Institute
Tunisian youth’s limited participation in political life is nothing new. It dates back to before the January 2011 revolution. Tunisian youth did indeed play a major role in driving the revolution, whose main slogan was "Freedom, Dignity, and Employment”, but have reverted to political objection and aversion when it comes to participating in public affairs due to several factors. Party conflicts and the collapse of economic and social indexes have further widened the gap between Tunisian youth and their aspirations, and the directions and choices politicians made during the first decade of the democratic transition.
Youth participation in Tunisias elections Some possible solutions
Arab Reform Initiative
This short paper explores the question: what is environmental degradation and what are its causes? It seems an obvious question, but it is not. The paper explores definitions of environmental degradation (and restoration), challenging simplistic perspectives centred on ‘carrying capacity’. Five explanations of the root causes of environmental degradation widely applied in policy debates and promoted by different actors are identified.
What is Environmental Degradation, What Are Its Causes, and How to Respond?
Institute of Development Studies
This article investigates this question by focusing on the relation between religion and politics in Lebanon. The Lebanese democracy is embedded in the consociational constitution, which distributes executive power and parliamentary representation based on the size of the nation's 18 publicly recognized confessional communities (Henley 2016).
Radical Secularism and Worldview Dilemmas in Countering Sectarianism in Lebanon
Dansk Institut for Internationale Studier
The University of Haifa, and the National Security Studies Center hosted a discussion examining Gulf-Russia relations since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
How Has the Invasion of Ukraine Reshaped Russias Influence in the Middle East?
The Arab Gulf States Institute In Washington
This Weekly Review discusses the implications of this extension and its proposed Roadmap. We argue that the government’s extension meets the first stage but fails short in the case of the last two for a valid amendment to be attained. We, however, contend that the Revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission’s (RJMEC) consent is only procedural, so skipping it does not render the changes invalid provided the parliament finally ratifies them.
Amending the South Sudans Revitalized Peace Agreement: The Implications of the Extension and its Roadmap
The Sudd Institute
Approximately 20 million Kenyans are set to go to the polls to exercise their democratic right in the August 9,2022, general election. As is the case in several countries around the world, technology adoption is regarded in Kenya as an important way of improving the accountability and transparency of electoral processes that have previously been tainted by controversy and mistrust.
In Kenyas 2022 Elections, Technology and Data Protection Must Go Hand in Hand
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Against the backdrop of a catastrophic and seemingly endless downward spiral that began in 2019, a paralysing political stalemate has once again gripped Lebanon.
Lebanons Perennial Limbo: A Paralysed System Teetering on the Brink
Istituto Affari Internazionali
The resumed employment of workers from the Gaza Strip in Israel over the last few years – after the suspension following the disengagement in 2005 – was intended to further the relative security calm and restrain Hamas from escalation. After the COVID-19 pandemic ebbed in October 2021, the income of Gazans entering Israel for work grew by more than six-fold, yet approximately one third of these workers paid for entry permits to Israel.
Gazan Workers in Israel: Implications for Employment Regulations
Institute for National Security Studies
In August 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Israel signed the landmark Abraham Accords and agreed to cooperate in fields ranging from economics to security and healthcare. Afterward, Sudan and Morocco also signed peace treaties, joining Egypt (since 1979), Jordan (since 1994), and Mauritania (since 1999) in officially recognizing the Jewish state.
Can the Abraham Accords Succeed Exploring Arab Support for Normalization with Israel
Wilson Center
Iraq's current institutions offer no enforceable compromise between consensus rule and majority rule. The popularity of Sadr's current farming shows that many Iraqis oppose the consensus system. With no path to compromise, violence between these two groups is difficult to avoid.
Iraq must compromise between majoritarianism and consensus government formation
Al Jazeera
Kenya’s election season is now in its final stretch. On August 9, 2022, voters across the country and members of the diaspora will head to the polls for another general election. Nationally, two front-runners—Deputy President William Ruto and long-time opposition leader Raila Odinga—are facing off in a contentious race to succeed outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is completing his second and final term in office. This election cycle comes at a time of significant economic discontent, with many Kenyans concerned about rising costs of living, public debt, and pervasive corruption. Given that Kenyatta is not up for reelection and that the country’s ruling coalition has splintered, Kenya will see a leadership change no matter what the outcome is.
The Specter of Politics as Usual in Kenyas 2022 Election
Carnegie Endowment For International peace
Kenya’s competitive presidential elections reflect hard-earned progress in establishing independent constitutional and judicial guardrails, though a history of electoral violence demands all sides show restraint. Kenyans will vote in August in their fifth presidential elections since the introduction of multiparty politics in1991. The competitiveness of the elections, and uncertainty over the outcome, distinguishes Kenya from many of its neighbors.
Kenyan Elections - Another Test in the Country s Democratic Journey
Africa Center For Strategic Studies
The results of the parliamentary elections in Lebanon reflect changes in the political map, in particular the weakening of the Hezbollah camp and the growing strength of its opponents. However, the opposition camp is still weak and divided, and thus the results do not enable it to form the stable and functioning government that Lebanon so desperately needs.
Hezbollah s Political Challenges following the Elections in Lebanon
The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)
The question of border demarcation has been one of the most contentious issues in the historical relationship between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Border disputes have been at the heart of many of the tensions between the two countries over the past century. They fought over the border in 1934, resulting in the Treaty of Taif, a non-permanent agreement that reflected the will of Saudi Arabia. But the border was to remain a source of conflict into the 1990s, which saw a number of military skirmishes.
Resolving the Yemen Saudi Border Problem Time to Revive the Joint Committees
Center for Strategic Studies (SANAA)
Recalling all its previous resolutions, statements of its President and press statements on the situation in Mali, Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Mali, emphasizing that the Malian authorities have primary responsibility for the provision of stability, security and protection of civilians throughout the territory of Mali, urging the Malian authorities to uphold their efforts to meet their obligations in that regard, and expressing great concern at the violent and unilateral
actions taken by non-State actors hampering the return of State authority and basic social services.
The Situation in Mali - MINUSMA
United Nations Security Council
The Brussels International Center organized a webinar event “Healthcare and Politics in the Europe-Africa Partnership: Improving Policy and Discourse” that brought together policy makers, practitioners, advisors, and NGOs together to discuss some of the key obstacles facing better Europe Africa trans-continental policy and practice while implementing healthcare strategies in African countries.
Challenging the Europe Africa Partnership on Healthcare: Redressing the Balance
Brussels International Center (BIC)
Much has been said about the ‘local turn’ in peace-building, but the role of diaspora actors in driving conflict resolution efforts remains inadequately examined. How do diaspora actors drive conflict resolution efforts, particularly in the Arab region, where armed conflict persists? This article presents a renewed call for ‘indigenous-led’ conflict resolution, especially following the surge in diaspora numbers with people fleeing war and authoritarian repression over the last decade.
Views A Renewed Call for Indigenous-Led Conflict Resolution in the Arab States
Rowaq Arabi
Fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is intensifying, with Ugandan and Burundian soldiers in pursuit of rebels and Congolese insurgents on the rebound. With help from its allies, Kinshasa should step up diplomacy lest the country become a regional battleground once more. President Félix Tshisekedi has allowed Uganda to deploy troops to fight rebels based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is tacitly permitting Burundi do to the same. Rwanda appears to be considering its own incursion in the area. Meanwhile, a Congolese armed group, the M23, is regrouping.
Easing the Turmoil in the Eastern DR Congo and Great Lakes
International Crisis Group (ICG)
The rapprochement between the Gulf states and Iraq is of economic and geostrategic importance. It allows Iraq to attract necessary investments and balance the influence of Iran, and through their involvement in Iraq, the Gulf states seek to improve their security and influence in the region. However, Iraq's political impasse following the 2021 elections, along with the foreign involvement in its affairs, makes it difficult for it to move closer to the Arab world and function as a bridge between the Persian Gulf and Arabian Gulf. Moreover, the recent rapprochement between Israel and some Gulf states could be detrimental to Iraq, which, due to its internal divisions, is not ripe for joining the normalization trend.
Iraq-Gulf Relations: An Anchor for Stability and Restraining Iranian Involvement in the Region?
Institute National Security Studies (INSS)
Africa's Development Dynamics uses lessons from Central, East, North, Southern and West Africa to develop policy recommendations and share good practices. Drawing on the most recent statistics, the analysis of development dynamics aims to assist African leaders in reaching the targets of the African Union's Agenda 2063 at all levels: continental, regional, national and local.
Reading of the week: Africa's Development Dynamics 2022
African Union / OECED
Countries are yet to harness the potential of migrant workforces to support their green transitions. Efforts to facilitate the economic integration of migrants are currently not aligned with green skills development and job creation, which are themselves inadequate. Similarly, there is a lack of coordination between international cooperation to support green transitions and green skills development, and international cooperation on global migration policies.
Migration for Climate Action How Labour Mobility can Help the Green Transition
ODI
This report examines how missions are implementing their mandates to protect civilians from SGBV, including CRSV, and assesses good practices, gaps, and opportunities for improvement. The report draws on lessons learned from the UN missions in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the DRC (MONUSCO).
UN Peacekeeping and the Protection of Civilians from Sexual and Gender Based Violence
IPI
Rather than breaking the violent cycle of elite political bargaining in South Sudan, the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (the peace agreement) has become part of it. Almost every component of the peace agreement is now hostage to the political calculations of the country's military and security elites, who use a combination of violence, misappropriated public resources and patronage to pursue their own narrow interests. As a result, much of the peace agreement remains gridlocked by political disputes between its principal signatories.
Reading of the Week: Final report of the Panel of Experts on South Sudan Submitted Pursuant to Resolution 2577 (2021)
United Nations Security Council
Two and a half years after the outbreak of an unprecedented banking, monetary and debt crisis qualified by the World Bank as one of the worst financial meltdowns since 1850, fears of intermittent or cascading bank failures are high in Lebanon, as the fate of billions of dollars in deposits remains uncertain. Currently losing all its legitimacy on the national and international scenes, the political class continues to cling to power without ever reforming the confessional and clientelist system that caused the Lebanese collapse.
Crise Bancaire Libanaise : Les Rouages Systemiques d un Naufrage
IFRI
This report presents findings and recommendations intended to assist the government of Iraq and its international partners in improving political, social, economic, and security conditions in order to enhance national stability, stabilize Iraq's democratic processes, and promote broad-based, Iraqi-generated economic growth.
Iraq: Implementing a way forward
Atlantic Council