Justice in the “critical minerals value chain” – moving in tandem for a just transition

Introduction Humanity is at a crossroads, confronted with the effects of climate change that no nation can solve on its own without working with others. It requires all countries to…

From Dubai to Baku: Energy Justice at the COPs and the Question of Fossil Fuel Abandonment

The twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties (COP28), which took place in Dubai from 30 November to 13 December 2023, made a modest yet significant contribution to energy justice by expressing…

Our development is inextricably linked to the past and next generation

1. Introduction Natural resources, including minerals, belong to our common heritage, entrusted to present and future generations to support their respective needs.[1] In this respect, mineral resources have the potential…

The Legal Analysis of Community Rights in Environment Decision-Making in the Federal Republic of Somalia

Introduction People often feel hopeless and powerless to protect the environment, themselves, their families and their individual rights. However, through the creative use of the law, a number of notable successes…

Global Crises and the Reassessment of the World’s Ethical Foundation: Lessons from African Communitarianism  

Introduction Global crises have one common feature – they are not innocuous. Covid-19, climate change, and poverty all have harmful features and are not benign occurrences. Nevertheless, they may produce…

Highlights of 2023: End-of-Year Review

Introduction In the vibrant tapestry of African legal and political developments in 2023, the African Legal Studies Blog has captured critical developments, weaving together the diverse threads of historical and…

Dispute Settlement, Sustainable Development and AfCFTA: A Scoping Analysis – Part 2

This succeeding discourse builds upon the inaugural blog post last week by Collins Ajibo, wherein he delved into the historical import and objectives underpinning the African Continental Free Trade Area…

Dispute Settlement, Sustainable Development and AfCFTA: A Scoping Analysis

1.1 Introduction The African Union (AU)’s approval of Phase 2 of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) covering the protocols on investment, intellectual property and competition policy reinforces…

Single-Use Plastic Eradication: Are Women the Key?

Growing up in the Blantyre city of Malawi in the late 80s and early 90s, women/mothers were mainly concerned with child care and home management. The few that ventured into…

A Sure Bet to Overturn the Curse by Shaping Upstream Mining of Critical Minerals

Introduction Critical minerals are in particular demand for the transition to low-carbon and renewable energies to attain the goals of the Paris COP21 agreement. The energy transition is expected to…