Civil registration and vital statistics systems (CRVS) remain some of the weakest points in African national statistical systems. According to UNICEF, 41% of sub-Saharan African children under five years of age have never been registered. “The demand for registration services remains weak because many people do not have adequate awareness about the importance of civil registration for them and their families,” explains Camilla Rocca in a blog post published by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Read on

Alain Antil, a researcher from the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), provides an interesting analysis of the root causes of insecurity in Sahelian countries. While the areas affected by violence in the Sahel continue to expand, socio-economic and demographic trends further exacerbate existing fragilities, especially in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. “Far from being able to deliver basic services or even the most rudimentary infrastructure, the states no longer even fulfil their sovereign functions: security, justice... Other actors have taken over and exercise a sort of shared governance,” Antil explains. Read on

CILSS Executive Secretary Djimé Adoum was a key speaker at an ODI side event at the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) on 25 September 2019 in New York. He talked about building resilience in the Sahel. The session highlighted Sahelian perspectives and focused on the role communities could play in building their own resilience to climate change, as well as possible practical steps to support their actions. Read on

How geography and gender stack the deck for (or against) you: “No matter where you are born, life will be harder if you are born a girl”. This statement comes from the 2019 Goalkeepers Report, published by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It analyses layers of inequality and how geography and gender affect peoples’ lives. Geography (place of birth) and gender are major determinants of health, success and overall well-being. Read on