Specific Editions of the GIGA Focus Series

The BRICS+ nations will soon come together in Kazan, Russia, for their 16th Annual Summit. Despite meeting in a country at war, old and new member states will work on initiatives for economic and political cooperation while aspiring ones will await a decision on the group’s further expansion.

JETPs are envisioned as catalysts for socially just energy transitions in fossil fuel-dependent countries. Yet, shortcomings of the mechanism, political-economic structures, and the initial implementation plans of South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam leave major doubts this goal will be reached.

Anti-fake news lawfare is deepening government control over civil society, undermining information integrity and civil society’s democratic rights. Patterns to this legal repression and related pushback strategies in South and Southeast Asia are examined, as the forerunners of global developments.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries in Asia and Latin America mobilised their armed forces for a broad range of related support activities. However, this military participation occurring in the two regions, even where extensive, did not necessarily threaten democracy and human rights.

The arrival of AI-powered chatbots has made many people think once again about the skills needed for the "digital future of work." Poorer countries in particular exhibit large “digital skills gaps.” This GIGA Focus looks at digital skills in the Global South.

In 2023, German and European authorities expect refugee numbers to rise further. Whether existing attitudes towards refugees in Germany can be changed by positive or negative statements made about their further admission in future is discussed in this Focus Global.

The G20 is now a central forum for solving the current global polycrisis. It has also become a place where Global South governments, like India’s or Turkey’s, seek to acquire and project higher status on the world stage. Policymakers need to understand and embrace this key foreign policy dynamic.

Studies have shown that the effectiveness of training programmes in developing countries varies greatly and many have little impact. In view of possible budget cuts regarding German development cooperation, funds should be used where they will have the greatest impact.

In a historic election, the African National Congress lost its absolute majority for the first time since the democratic transition in 1994. Amid a profound domestic crisis and significant international challenges, South Africa’s political landscape will fundamentally change.

In African societies, celebrations of religious diversity exist alongside (violent) religious extremism. What determines whether interreligious relations are peaceful or contentious? What can we learn from positive examples, and what role does religious extremism play in interreligious peace?

Democracy will remain strained in Africa, with crucial elections in 2024. Conflict risks may arise alongside the further waning of Western influence. Economic growth will continue, but also structural socio-economic challenges too. Western policymakers should address migration and decarbonisation.

Africa barely features in Germany’s first National Security Strategy even though the coup in Niger once again demonstrated the continent’s importance for German foreign and security policy. Nonetheless, the strategy document provides important topical impetus for future partnerships with Africa.

Military coups in the Sahel countries have shaken the foundations of Europe’s foreign policy towards the region. Amidst the growing influence of Russia, how should European governments position themselves?

Recent military coups underscore that democratisation is under pressure in Africa. While long-term trends paint a positive picture, current threats to democratisation beyond the coups include socio-economic challenges, violent conflict, power-hungry elites, and external support for autocrats.

President Marcos Jr. has been driving the digital transformation of the Philippines since 2022. Internet infrastructure and cybersecurity are undergoing improvements as part of an effort to position the country as a digital leader, with key collaborations involving Germany, Japan, and the World Bank.

Germany’s new “China Strategy” implies a diversification of its international science and technology cooperation. Our monitoring of the Asia Pacific region’s S&T performance shows that, apart from China, a number of other countries within the region harbour great cooperation potential.

Peace and development in Northeast India are crucial for India’s grand vision for political, social, and economic ties with the Asian region. Durable peace can be achieved by including local actors in formal peace processes, especially women, who have been active agents for peace at the grassroots.

Taiwan’s newly inaugurated President William Lai has pledged to steer a steady course in domestic, cross-Strait, and foreign policy. This GIGA Focus Asia assesses the challenges he will face between navigating a divided government, acute pressure from China, as well as a global landscape in flux.

The outcome of India’s 2024 national elections will define its future course as a democracy. Examined are the key factors and trends likely to influence India’s politics and policies in the coming years.

In recent years, many Asian countries have experienced a remilitarisation of state and society. This GIGA Focus traces the military’s increasing influence over politics, society, and the economy in the region, and highlights its adverse effects for democracy, development, and regional stability.

Indonesia’s government strives to confine civic spaces with the help of surveillance, Internet shutdowns, digital attacks, lawfare, as well as online manipulation by so-called buzzers. This is alarming because right-wing populist Prabowo Subianto could win the presidency in 2024.

The G20 summit in Brazil will take place at a crossroads in the global power dynamic. The traditional dominance of the rich nations is being challenged by a more united Global South, while diplomatic bridges need to be built to address pressing economic, political, and environmental issues.

In Brazil’s mid-term elections on 6 October, all eyes will be on São Paulo, where polls show a three-way tie between the right’s “old guard” candidate, a young, extremist YouTuber, and the left-wing nominee, backed by President Lula. The result will be a harbinger for politics in post-Lula Brazil.

As Venezuela grapples with a legitimacy crisis following the 28 July elections, tensions rise. The country is at a crossroads, with coordinated international pressure and strategic dialogue urgently needed to support democratic forces and help navigate the complex path towards a peaceful transition.

Mexico is experiencing militarisation with increased violence and persistent human rights violations. While civil society actors are demanding an end to this policy, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum secured victory by pledging continuity to the outgoing López Obrador Presidency.

The unification of the opposition under María Corina Machado is an unprecedented political challenge for the regime of Nicolás Maduro. To eliminate candidates and splinter the opposition, the regime weaponises the judiciary and persecutes political enemies, making free and fair elections unlikely.

In Guatemala, President Bernardo Arévalo took office on 15 January 2024, raising hopes of democratic reform. Still, an entrenched elite has continuously distorted the independence of the judiciary. Not only are elections highly contested; democracy itself is on the line. Can Guatemala turn the tide?

Women, often seen as political outsiders, bring renewal during crises but face added challenges. Examining Jeanine Añez and Dina Boluarte in Bolivia and Peru respectively reveals these dynamics, shedding light on the potential implications for future female political leaders.

The 2024 US presidential election will redefine America’s role in the Middle East. With US priorities being revisited, Europe must recalibrate its foreign policy in the region to safeguard strategic interests such as regional stability, energy security, and the management of migration flows.

Sanction evasion, economic and military collaboration, and narratives of resistance against a US-led liberal global order bind Russia and Iran together. To thwart their continued and intensified power projection, the West needs to strengthen ties with other key actors in the Middle East and Eurasia.

Public diplomacy looms large in the foreign policies of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Zooming in on these states’ engagement with the African continent, this GIGA Focus Middle East explores the role played by real and alleged non-state actors in autocratic public-diplomacy efforts.

The violent escalation in most of Syria since 2023 and the continuation of the Assad dictatorship suggest that nowhere in the country is safe. Outlined are the key details to this. Any plans to forcibly return Syrian refugees from Middle Eastern and European countries should therefore be rejected.

Within UNESCO, Algeria and Morocco have been battling over the origin of different cultural objects. Cultural heritage, envisaged as a tool for cooperation and conflict resolution in the MENA region, has increased tension between the two neighbours and threatens to embroil other countries as well.

“Purification” of the higher education and “jihad of knowledge” have assisted the Iranian government in advancing its military, cyber-based, and nuclear capabilities. This paper reviews these strategies and evaluates their outcomes.

In Sudan’s protracted war, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces outmanoeuvred Abdelfattah Al-Burhan’s Armed Forces through sabotage, new weapons, and broader networks. But as regional actors and local militia hijack the war’s original power-struggle, frontlines and command chains shattered.