Ecowas' dilemma : balancing principles and pragmatism : West Africa's regional bloc faces disintegration after failed sanctions against military regimes

The decision by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to leave Ecowas reflects the bloc’s failure to address security and humanitarian issues in the subregion. It is also a result of people losing faith in Ecowas’ leadership after years of complacency and inconsistency in championing its democratic principles. Pragmatic dialogue with the member states currently run by military regimes will be crucial if regional collaboration is to be revived. And defending democratic values will be crucial if civilian rule and popular trust are to be restored

Preserving heritage, nurturing progress, raising social equity : policy advice on how indigenous peoples can advance sustainable agriculture in Kenya

Recognising and including the knowledge and leadership of indigenous peoples in building resilient food systems is crucial for equitable transformation. Kenyan decision makers must empower indigenous peoples to engage in local climate adaptation and agricultural sector planning, and at the same time protect those peoples’ rights.This policy brief is based on a collaboration between the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI), the Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE), and the CGIAR Research Initiative on Climate Resilience (ClimBeR).</p

COVID-19 risk perception and public compliance with preventive measures : Evidence from a multi-wave household survey in the MENA region

This study investigates the association between individuals’ concern about contracting COVID-19 and their compliance with recommended preventive and mitigation measures, namely wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing and handwashing, in the context of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The empirical analysis is based on a panel dataset from the Combined COVID-19 MENA Monitor Household Survey, which was carried out in Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Egypt. Applying a probit estimation technique, a positive and statistically significant association was found between the level of COVID-19 worries and individuals’ compliance with the mitigation measures. Notably, the results revealed that this association followed a “first-up-then-down” trend, showing that compliance with the three mitigation measures rose as individuals’ worries about contracting the virus increased, and then markedly decreased after they had been infected. Socio-demographic characteristics contributing to lower levels of compliance included being male, being over 60, having lower levels of education and having a lower household income. A cross-country analysis revealed remarkable differences between the five countries, with the strongest association between COVID-19 concerns and adherence to mitigation measures observed in Tunisia and Sudan, and the weakest association seen in Jordan and Morocco. Policy implications are outlined for effective risk communication and management during disease outbreaks and public health emergencies to encourage appropriate public health behaviours

Climate adaptation in Kenya : narratives and frames shaping policy and practice

Climate change poses one of the greatest challenges of our time with the impact severely distressing lives and livelihoods particularly in countries of the Global South. In Kenya, climate-related disasters and extreme events have plagued the most vulnerable communities with the most affected as marginalized communities. Through the institutionalization of the Kenya Climate Change Act (2016), the government provides guidance for the climate change response, proposing measures to build resilience and enhance adaptation. Efforts to promote adaption and resilience of communities and households often involve multi-pronged approaches promoted through multi-actor and multi-level action. Besides the provisions of the Act., climate adaptation discourse in the country is shaped through particular narratives which have both international and national contexts. The narratives have developed over time and often overlap, with institutions and individuals working across the different frames. In this paper, we review literature on climate adaptation in Kenya and use it to discuss four of the dominant narratives that shape climate change adaption in the country. The narratives discussed in this paper relate to adaptive capacities, technological and technical, gender and feminist, and climate justice framings. We argue that some narratives have been dominant in shaping adaptation discourse and practice towards certain solutions, and in turn may have obscured and/or subsumed other plausible solutions. The working paper was undertaken as part of the gender and social equity research work under ClimBeR – Building Systemic Resilience Against Climate Variability and Extremes. ClimBeR is an initiative of the CGIAR which aims to transform climate adaptation capacity of food and agricultural systems Guatemala, Kenya, Morocco, Philippines, Senegal and Zambia. Its goal is to tackle vulnerability to climate change at its roots and support countries as they adapt and build equitable and sustainable futures.The research presented in this working paper is drawn from a research project at the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) in partnership with CGIAR, a research alliance funded by among others the United Nations and the World Bank.ClimBe

Aligning European migration policies with African priorities : policy advice on African migration for Nordic decision makers

Bridging European and African perspectives on migration governance will result in more sustainable migration policies. Under Sweden's EU presidency, Nordic decision makers have an opportunity to lead the way. They should adopt a holistic and long-term approach, informed by a research-based understanding of the dynamics of African migration that takes the aspirations of African migrants and the perspectives of policymakers more seriously

A shared commitment : African-Nordic peace and security cooperation : a report from the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI)

Over the past decade, the Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden – have strengthened their relationship with African states and societies by supporting the African Peace and Security Architecture and promoting African involvement in conflict prevention, mediation, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding efforts. This report offers an overview of the partnership between African and Nordic countries in peace and security from 2012 to 2021. It features original case studies on Nordic country cooperation with African actors and institutions, across an array of efforts, including support to peace processes, building capacity and training for inclusive conflict management, contributing to peace operations, and advancing gender equality, climate adaptation and resilience. It also includes perspectives on cross-cutting themes such as women, peace and security, youth, countering violent extremism, and partnership with the African Union. The report aims to be a resource for the policy community, mapping African-Nordic cooperation, in pursuit of peace and security in Africa.Contents: Preface -- Executive summary -- Introduction -- Part 1: Nordic country studies - Denmark / Jakob Dreyer -- Finland / Prince Duah Agyei -- Iceland / Silja Bára R. Ómarsdóttir and Guðrún Sif Friðriksdóttir -- Norway / Ingvild Brox Brodtkorb -- Sweden / Fredrik Söderbaum and Sören Stapel -- Part 2: Thematic perspectives -- African peace support capacity / Vasu Gounden -- Women, peace, and security / Olivia Ebenstål Almeida -- Youth, peace, and security / Martha Kiiza Bakwesgha -- Peacekeeping and countering violent extremism / Fiifi Edu-Afful and Kwesi Aning -- The African Union (AU) Partnership and the Peace Fund / Hafsa Maalim--Also available in French: Paix et sécurité: un engagement mutuel entre l'Afrique et les pays nordiques : un rapport de l'Institut norvégien des affaires internationales (NUPI) et de l'Institut nordique de l’Afrique (NAI) / Cedric De Coning &amp; Angela Muvumba Sellström (Éd.), 2023.</p

South Africa and Sweden in the UN Security Council

The UN Security Council is the world’s most established forum for safeguarding international peace and security. It has, however, suffered from significant deficiencies in legitimacy and effectiveness. The permanent five (P5) members control the Council’s agenda and block action on conflicts because of their own national interests and geopolitical rivalries. New research (see Graham, 2022; Olsson, Muvumba Sellström, and Chang, 2021; and for example, Bode, 2018; Pay and Postolski, 2022; and Farrall, Loisell and Prantl, 2020) suggests that the elected ten (E10) members are, however, able to project their own interests and preferences, and shape decisions from inside the Council, particularly on conflict situations and themes that affect Africa. Indeed, conflict in Africa makes up two-thirds of the Council’s workload, and 85% of UN military peacekeepers are deployed to the continent. This short article explores the recent memberships of Sweden (2017-18) and South Africa (2019-20). Elected states have played an active role in terms of promoting cross-cutting themes, including strengthening Africa’s Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda, to varying degrees. Elected members can distinguish their short tenures on the Council by signalling their contribution to global affairs through thematic events and resolutions. By presenting South Africa and Sweden’s record of conduct on these themes, the article explores differences and similarities in E10 practice. The main contribution is an illustration of how elected states pursue a common agenda, using diverse methods of engagement. This variation is important for understanding the UNSC, since it demonstrates the Council’s pluralist nature, and the interplay of its least powerful members through policy practices of specialization and interdependence.Shattering glass: How elected members of the UN Security Council fight for women, peace and securit

Patriarchal politics, online violence and silenced voices : the decline of women in politics in Zimbabwe

In this year's elections in Zimbabwe, the number of women nominated and elected to national office decreased. This decline can be attributed to increased online harassment of women in politics, as well as financial obstacles and patriarchal attitudes. To reverse this trend, it is crucial for the government, political parties and civil society to address gender-based electoral violence effectively. Additionally, the government should genuinely implement gender quotas, focusing on empowering women in politics rather than using quota as a means to improve their international image, attract international donor funds and secure more women voters

Pax Africana and Africa’s Post-Cold War Security Architecture : Peacemaking, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding

The University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship (CAS) in South Africa; the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) in Uppsala, Sweden; and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, convened a high-level policy dialogue on "Pax Africana and Africa’s Post-Cold War Security Architecture: Peacemaking, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding." The meeting was held on 19 and 20 May 2023 in Addis Ababa. Representatives of the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), as well as key policymakers from the United Nations (UN)and the European Union (EU); joined by leading academics, diplomats, and civil society activists, participated in the policy dialogue. The meeting addressed the role of key domestic, regional, and external actors in strengthening Africa’s post-Cold War security architecture across the continent’s five sub-regions. This report is based largely on key discussions and policy recommendations from the policy dialogue.  Published by: Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship (CAS), University of Pretoria, South Africa; The Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) in Uppsala, Sweden; and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Nordic Africa Institute's Projects on the UN Security Council and the Elected Te

The lifeways of small-scale gold miners : Addressing sustainability transformations

Small-scale gold mining sustains millions of people’s lives and yet it stimulates environmental harms and social conflicts. Global environmental crises drive calls for fundamental change to how people live on the planet. For small-scale gold mining, this raises questions about whether current dynamics can provide a basis for sustainability transformations. Proposing the notion of gold lifeways to focus on the lived experience of mining and gold resources as relational phenomena, we ask what sustainability looks like from different miners’ perspectives and probe the practice dynamics of current transformation. Our methodology is social science-led and transdisciplinary. From multi-sited and trans-regional research between South America and Africa, we draw cases from Suriname, Guinea Conakry, and Uganda. Our study finds that gold lifeways give expression to different strands of sustainability: sustaining everyday life in mining; discourses framing mining practices; and government repression of mining. Hence, as our empirical data demonstrates, miner perspectives on sustainability gain content not in isolation, but as part of gold lifeways embedded within different contexts and shaped by societal dynamics. Ultimately, the transformative potency of small-scale gold mining is located in personal lives and precarious dynamics rather than glittering promises of a sustainable future.Gold Matter