On 24 October 2025, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) removed South Africa from its grey list of “Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring,” marking the end of 32 months of enhanced scrutiny. This delisting marks a significant milestone in South Africa's efforts to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) framework. Still, it also signals the start of a new phase that will require sustained commitment to financial integrity.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the world’s largest free trade area in terms of the participating countries since the formation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The AfCFTA Agreement brings together 55 African Countries who are contracting member states to the 8 existing Regional Economic Communities in Africa, including the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States (former members of ECOWAS). As of September 2024, 54 of the 55 AU member states have signed the AfCFTA Agreement and 47 have ratified the Agreement. The AfCFTA aims to create a single market for trade in goods and services and allow free access to tradeable commodities across the continent. Although the AfCFTA is not fully operational, meaningful commercial trading has been envisioned through the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI). The GTI is a pilot project that tests the operational, institutional, legal and trade policy environment of the AfCFTA.

Dispute settlement is a central tenet of any economic block as it provides the necessary security and predictability for the state parties. The Architecture of the AfCFTA is reflective of these principles as the AfCFTA Agreement has introduced a rules-based dispute settlement regime which mirrors the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Understanding. The success of the AfCFTA is highly dependent on the effectiveness of the dispute settlement mechanism. In considering the Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM) of the AfCFTA this piece highlights the salient features of the DSM and explores some of the challenges that should be anticipated. This piece fronts the argument that the AfCFTA should have diverged from the traditional dispute settlement mechanisms adopted by the WTO. Further, it attempts to answer the question on whether African States will utilize the DSM given the current status quo of the dismal use of the WTO’s DSM.

We invite interventions from scholars of international law, international relations, and germane fields exploring the future of international economic law.

The conference seeks to provide a rigorous, practice-oriented forum for interrogating foundational questions in reparation in international law. How have international courts and tribunals conceptualized the forms, functions, and limits of reparation? What distinctive insights and claims emerge from African experiences with historical and contemporary injustice, including colonialism, slavery, apartheid, and serious human rights violations? And how might African perspectives continue to shape the progressive development of international law in this area?

Fireside Chat on Trade Policy and Regional Integration: Trade Policy Is Not Just for Policymakers The session was a fireside chat titled "Trade Policy Is Not Just for Policymakers", facilitated by Mishael Wambua, Component Lead at GIZ Support Programme for Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He discussed the importance of fostering an awareness of trade policy and regional integration in Africa.

In December 2024, South Africa assumed the presidency of the G20, a position which ended on 30th November 2025. Addressing the issue of debt sustainability was highlighted as a key priority of the presidency. During its tenure, South Africa has taken steps such as the G20 Ministerial Declaration on Debt Sustainability in October 2025. The Expert Panel has also released its report titled ‘Growth, Debt and Development: Opportunities for a New African Partnership’ in which it addresses the issue of sovereign debt in Africa and provides guidance to South Africa’s G20 Presidency on the collective measures required to unlock the continent’s global development potential. This Update will outline the background to the report within the context of the G20, particularly South Africa’s presidency thereof, and analyze its key propositions, with particular attention to whether it offers realistic pathways to debt sustainability in Africa, or if gaps remain.

L’harmonisation des règles douanières au sein de la ZLECAF est réelle et salutaire. Elle est une réalité puisqu’elle repose essentiellement sur la réduction des droits de douane des Etats membres de la ZLECAF. Cette réalité se manifeste non seulement par l’existence de réelles politiques d’harmonisation des règles douanières mais aussi par un domaine assez précis de l’harmonisation de ces règles. En revanche, l’harmonisation des règles fiscales est éprouvée pour deux raisons : d’abord, l’on note l’absence de politique favorable à l’harmonisation des règles fiscales au sein de la ZLECAF ; ensuite, l’on note l’absence de mesures de coopération entre la ZLECAF et les autres espaces communautaires africains au sein desquels s’est déjà effectuée l’harmonisation fiscale. Pour atteindre l’objectif d’harmonisation des règles fiscales, il est souhaitable qu’une politique d’harmonisation fiscale particulière soit menée au sein de la ZLECAF, laquelle pourrait s’appuyer sur celle déjà menée au sein de l’UEMOA, de la CEMAC.

“Digital Solidarity and International Law: Collective Action and Human Rights in the Digital Age” is an edited volume to be published under a contract with Routledge in the Routledge Research in International Law series. It will examine how solidarities are formed and expressed in the digital sphere and their implications for international law in areas including human rights, trade, environment, health, and peace and security. The volume is edited by Dr Yohannes Eneyew Ayalew (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Dr Karin M Frodé (Monash University), and Dr Christopher Nyinevi (ECOWAS Court of Justice).

In this quarterly report, we argue that Africa’s ongoing debt crisis is deeply intertwined with the legacies of colonialism, the political pressures of post-independence governance, and the global financial system’s exploitative practices. Recently liberated African states in the 1970s and 1980s faced the dual challenge of fulfilling liberation promises, such as expanding education, healthcare, and infrastructure, while relying on favorable commodity prices to sustain economic growth. This combination of political urgency and economic optimism led to extensive borrowing, often underpinned by forced loans and unrealistic economic forecasting. When the global economic downturn hit, these debts became unsustainable. In response, international financial institutions (IFIs) imposed Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) that mandated austerity, privatization, and drastic cuts to social spending.