Gender-Responsive Multilateral Adaptation Investments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region  - Multilateral institutions must establish and implement gender safeguard policies consistent with existing international conventions and instruments on gender equality in all adaptation projects.

The concept of ‘green growth’ rests on the idea of an ‘efficiency revolution’ – climate-friendly technologies, sustainable industrial and transport sectors, and an efficient use of resources. But while vast productivity increases do indeed incentivize a more efficient use of energy, they raise demand at the same time. This paper explores the range of possible rebound effects, their quantitative extent and the difficulties encountered by political efforts to contain them.

The second issue of our Turkish "Perspectives" magazine will not only analyze the shift in foreign policy and the impact of the “Arab spring” but also shed some light on the very recent developments in Syria from within. Finally, it will draw your attention on the impact of the crisis – especially in Syria – on the eastern part of Turkey, Antakya and the Kurdish regions. 

Good news! counteracts the dominance of bad news in the media and provides numerous examples of positive change from all over the world. The focus is on people who are determined to put a stop to violence, oppression, gender inequality, poverty, and destruction of the environment.

Despite the tens of millions of dollars in aid and concessional loans being spent in Cambodia, the evidence shows that tenure insecurity, forced evictions and large-scale land grabbing are escalating to alarminglevels. The paper calls on development partners to adopt a ten-pronged framework for a human rights approach to development.

Nearly two years after the German Government’s raw materials strategy was first published in October 2010, the present paper takes stock of how individual core elements of the raw materials strategy have been put into practice, with a focus on the promotion of foreign trade and on development cooperation.

The articles in this issue of Perspectives seek to reflect on the extent to which African legislatures have taken steps that mark their shift from being the “weakest link” of government to stronger, independent institutions. In essence, we ask – do African Parliaments really occupy the privileged position accorded to them in representational democracies?

Although there continues to be widespread popular support across the African continent for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its mandate to prosecute high-level individuals accused of perpetrating international crimes, strong anti-ICC sentiments are brewing among parts of Africa’s political elite and state actors. 

This new report reveals, for the first time, data on resource use and resource effi ciency for all countries of the world over three decades, from 1980 – 2008. The data covers the global, continental and country level, featuring illustrative case studies. 

The quarterly periodical "Perspectives" strives to be a source of reference for civil society, decision makers, opinion leaders in- and outside of Turkey. The feature articles of this first issue deal with the historical background and recent developments concerning the “deep state” of the country.