Africa
Even today, Africa is home to many of the poorest countries in the world. However, the continent is undergoing major changes and is experiencing economic growth.
Africa, the second-largest continent on the globe, consists of 54 independent nation states and can be subdivided into five regions: North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa and East Africa. Over the course of the past 40 years, it has experienced massive population growth – today counting over a billion people of more than 3,000 ethnic groups, with great variations in culture, language and religion. The continent is still home to a considerable proportion of the world’s poor, but it is also characterized by rapid development and economic growth.
NUPI conducts wide-ranging research on Africa, in particular on issues related to social and economic development: fundamental questions concerning the conditions for state formation and democracy, as well as specific studies of individual countries and areas. Other important thematic areas include how post-conflict counties can avoid relapse, and the role of international peace operations in such circumstances – not least, the activities of the UN and the African Union.
Source: Store Norske Leksikon and NUPI.
News about Africa
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How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the Africa-Europe partnership?
20 May 2020It is already clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to significantly disrupt the political, economic and social fabric in Africa and Europe, but how will it affect the relationship between Africa and Europe?
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Sustaining Peace in the time of COVID-19
12 May 2020NUPI is present with several events at the Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development. See them all here!
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The PREVEX project officially launched in Brussels
7 Feb 2020Why are some communities more likely to experience violent extremism than others?
Publications about Africa
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Publication
: Report
Multilateral Cooperation and Climate-related Security and Development Risks
On 3 and 4 March 2020, a sub-regional meeting was hosted by Senegal and Norway in Dakar. The meeting formed part of an ongoing special initiative by African and Nordic countries to strengthen multilateral cooperation and a rules-based international order. The topic of this meeting was “multilateral cooperation... -
Publication
: Report
Female Peacekeepers and Operational Effectiveness in UN Peace Operations.
More women are needed in UN peace operations, both on the grounds of equality and performance. March 2020 survey data and empirical evidence from the Effectiveness of Peace Operations Network (EPON) highlight the importance of greater gender parity in UN peace operations for missions to successfully... -
Publication
: Report
Unity in Goals, Diversity in Means - and the discourse on female peacekeepers in UN peace operations.
Gender parity at all levels in the UN, as a means towards gender equality, is a two-decades old commitment, reflecting core values as old as the UN itself. Despite this, progress on increasing the number of female peacekeepers has been slow and uneven, particularly in uniformed roles – but also in peace...
Research projects about Africa
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Research project
Jihadist Governance in the Sahel (JIGOV-Sahel)
2020 - 2024 (Ongoing)This project is about jihadist insurgent governance in West Africa's Sahel region.
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Foto: John Taggart/Reuters/NTB Scanpix
Research project
China and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (CHINSDG)
2018 - 2019 (Ongoing)What are Chinese priorities in relation to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and how do Chinese actors promote their interests and prospects for international cooperation?
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Research project
Migration and Development: Sharing knowledge between Norway and Poland (MiDeShare)
2019 - 2021 (Ongoing)The aim of this project is to improve our understanding of the relationship between migration and development in order to suggest more effective policies for addressing root causes of migration in weak...