Ambitions for greening solid waste management: Perspectives from Urban(ising) Africa
African cities are vexed by the triple challenge of rapid population growth, urban expansion and poor waste management.
Tracking AU themes: Why the APRM should rise to the occasion
Africa and its diaspora community are wrapping up the commemoration Africa Month – marking the anniversary of the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on 25 May 1963, relaunched in 2002 as the African Union (AU). This should be a time of deep reflection on Africa’s developmental needs, going beyond wearing African regalia and celebratory events.
Enhancing EU resource governance interventions: A call for prioritising human security
In response to resource-fuelled conflicts in producer countries, EU foreign policy initiatives have sought to enhance ‘good governance’ throughout the value chain for an increasing number of primary commodities.
Challenges and opportunities for the EU in Africa’s extractives sector
The EU’s historical reliance on raw material imports from Africa and other regions is set to continue as the EU transitions towards a low-carbon future. According to the World Bank, the world will require roughly double the volume of minerals and metals currently mined to fuel the move towards a carbon-neutral future.
A win-win for Europe & Africa: Extractive justice & resource inter-dependency
The trade relationship between Europe and Africa in terms of the extractive sector is characterised by inequitable resource interdependence, whereby Africa does not benefit fully from its natural resources.
Business (not) for peace: A call for conflict-sensitive policy in fragile states
In much of Africa, the political economy shaping the private sector, as well as disincentives for the private sector to engage in peacebuilding and state building, militates against a peace-positive role for the private sector in extractives governance or broader efforts to promote SDG 16.
Africa: how the G20 can drive development in a changing global environment
SAIIA recently joined the world’s leading think tanks in Tokyo, Japan, from 26 to 27 May at the Think 20 Summit of the Japanese presidency.
Xenophobia erodes South Africa’s leadership potential
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration, scheduled to coincide with Africa Day on 25 May this year, intended to highlight ‘government’s commitment to advancing the African agenda and to strengthening ties between South Africa and its neighbours’, according to The Presidency.
East Africa: Marine-based ‘blue economies’ offer massive potential
Developing ocean-based resources in areas such as fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, transport and ports, mining and energy, could generate U.S. $20.8 billion a year for the 220 million people of the western Indian Ocean region, according to a recent report. But coastal and marine ecosystems will have to be preserved, and the adverse effects of climate change combatted if this potential is to be realised.
Non-voting youth are not simply apathetic
It is just hours before the 2019 national elections in South Africa and the hashtag #IWantToVoteBut is trending nationally on Twitter.