Prépublications

All development actions of the States are generally carried out through public procurement, including public contracts, public service delegations, and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). While for the first two the funding is directly and almost entirely provided by the State budget, PPPs are partially or fully pre-financed by the private sector. Similarly, PPPs do not involve immediate payment upon the completion of the project that is the subject of the partnership. The observation today is that Public-Private Partnerships are particularly popular in countries, including those in development. This new form of public procurement consists of a partnership collaboration that increasingly solicits the contributions of the private sector by entrusting it with the (co)financing of a project, its design, implementation, and even its operation. Over the past decade, Burkina Faso has faced security challenges with psycho-economic-social and developmental consequences. Moreover, populations are becoming increasingly demanding regarding the satisfaction of their claims. "The State being a continuity," it is said, no government can therefore claim its technical and especially financial incompetence to evade its royal obligation to meet the vital needs of its citizens. It is in this perspective that PPP (Public-Private Partnership) intervenes as an alternative source of funding and optimal mobilization of the necessary international and national private expertise for development. For Burkina Faso, the government has been experimenting with public-private partnerships since 2013, building on a PPP development strategy from 2011 and a related legal and institutional framework (Law No. 020-2013). Thus, to promote the diversification of funding methods for…

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the economic development of Burkina Faso, but they often face financial constraints that can limit their performance and competitiveness. Among these constraints, tax deadlines represent a major challenge, as meeting tax payment deadlines can directly affect their cash flow management. This study aims to analyze the impact of tax deadlines on the cash flow management of Burkinabe SMEs, highlighting the mechanisms by which tax obligations influence cash flows and the strategies adopted to maintain financial equilibrium. The overall objective of the research is to assess how tax deadlines impact the cash flow management of SMEs in Burkina Faso. To this end, the study adopts a qualitative and documentary approach, based on the analysis of scientific articles, institutional reports, official publications, and academic works related to taxation, cash flow, and corporate financial management. This method allows for an in-depth understanding of the effects of tax obligations and the identification of best practices adopted by SMEs to manage their cash flow. The results of the document analysis reveal that tax deadlines have a significant impact on SME cash flow. Periodic tax obligations, such as corporate income tax, VAT, and parafiscal contributions, lead to regular cash outflows, reducing the funds available for day-to-day operations and investments. SMEs, often with limited resources, are particularly vulnerable and may be forced to postpone certain payments, resort to short-term loans, or adjust their investment plans to meet tax deadlines. The study also shows that some SMEs adopt…

This study analyzes the role of community policing, defined as the set of strategies aimed at bringing law enforcement closer to communities from a comparative perspective between Canada and South Africa. It is set against a backdrop in which trust emerges as a central element in the effectiveness of public safety policies. The main objective is to analyze the extent to which historical legacies marked notably by colonization, assimilation policies in Canada, and the apartheid regime in South Africa influence current dynamics of trust between the police and the public. The study also highlights past events and police operations that have contributed to institutionalizing lasting mistrust, particularly among marginalized groups. Using a qualitative and comparative approach based on a literature review, this study examines the community policing strategies implemented in both countries. The results show that, although significant efforts have been made to bring the police closer to the communities, their effectiveness varies depending on the extent to which the cultural and historical dimensions specific to each context are taken into account. The study concludes that building lasting trust requires not only institutional reforms, but also an acknowledgment of past injustices and an adaptation of policing practices to the sociocultural realities of the communities. It thus highlights the importance of a contextualized, inclusive approach to community policing to strengthen relations between police and citizens.

The emergence of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in July 2024 represents a paradigm shift in sub-regional integration, challenging conventional models rooted in economic interdependence and democratic governance. Comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger three military-led states with a combined population exceeding 70 million the AES articulates a sovereignty-centric vision of integration that prioritizes security cooperation, institutional autonomy, and the repudiation of Western influence. This article examines the AES as a new model of sub-regional integration, analyzing its institutional architecture, security framework, economic pillars, and geopolitical positioning. Drawing on primary sources including the Liptako-Gourma Charter, the Treaty of Confederation, and official communiqués, as well as policy analyses from Chatham House, the Centre for Democracy and Development, and the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, the study assesses the AES's viability as an alternative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The article argues that while the AES represents a genuine assertion of sovereignty responding to legitimate grievances against ECOWAS and former colonial powers, its military-driven governance model, institutional shallowness, and geopolitical dependency on Russia present significant challenges to sustainable integration. The study concludes that the AES's long-term viability depends on its ability to balance sovereignty with accountability, security with development, and autonomy with regional cooperation. It recommends that both ECOWAS and the AES pursue pragmatic engagement on shared security and economic challenges while maintaining principled positions on governance standards.

Achieving SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) requires promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Target 16.1 calls for significantly reducing all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. Target 16.3 promotes the rule of law and equal access to justice. Target 16.7 ensures responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. Youth, defined as ages 15 to 35, comprise the largest demographic cohort in the Arab region, approximately 30 percent of the population in both Libya and Tunisia. They have been both drivers of political change during the Arab Spring of 2010 to 2011 and victims of violence, exclusion, and economic marginalization. However, youth participation in peacebuilding remains under-researched and under-supported, with peace processes often dominated by armed actors, political elites, and international mediators who overlook youth as legitimate peacebuilders. This study conducts a comparative analysis of youth participation in peacebuilding in Libya and Tunisia, two neighbouring North African countries with shared historical, cultural, and linguistic ties but divergent post-2011 trajectories. Libya descended into civil war after the 2011 uprising, while Tunisia navigated a largely peaceful political transition. The Libyan peace process has largely excluded youth, with only 5 percent of participants in formal peace negotiations being under 35 and no youth seats in the political dialogue forum. Despite this, Libyan youth have engaged in grassroots peacebuilding through local ceasefires, community mediation, and digital activism. Tunisia has more institutionalized…

This study examines the comparative dynamics of regional integration and cultural diplomacy in Burundi and Uganda, two East African nations that are geographically proximate yet pursue distinct approaches to engagement with the East African Community (EAC) and to cultivating cultural soft power. Despite their divergent political trajectories and diplomatic styles, both countries grapple with fundamental questions about how to navigate regional integration processes, leverage cultural assets for diplomatic influence, and balance sovereignty concerns with the imperatives of collective regional action. The research employs a comparative case study methodology, drawing on policy documents, diplomatic engagements, cultural initiatives, and scholarly analyses spanning 2020-2026. Uganda has positioned itself as a leading advocate for deeper EAC integration, with President Yoweri Museveni's March 2026 assumption of the EAC chairmanship marked by a stark warning that the bloc risks "perpetual marginalisation" if member states fail to deepen integration across its four pillars: Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union, and Political Federation. Museveni's rhetorical framing, drawing on the Luganda concept of "Okukonesa" (undercooking food) to describe incomplete reforms, illustrates how cultural metaphors can articulate political vision. Uganda's cultural diplomacy extends beyond rhetoric—the Kampala Geopolitics Conference at Makerere University has become a platform for showcasing regional culture, as demonstrated by the April 2025 performance of Burundi's Ingoma drummers alongside Ugandan artist Vinka, creating a fusion that reminded participants of "the unifying power of music" in regional cooperation . Uganda's open-door refugee policy, praised as among the most progressive globally, represents a form of humanitarian diplomacy that enhances its…

This study falls within SDG Focus Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being — Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all; Target 3.b: Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines. This study examines the comparative approaches to bioethics frameworks governing genetic research in the United States and China, focusing on how each country's regulatory architecture, institutional mechanisms, and ethical traditions shape the oversight of transformative technologies like CRISPR and human genome editing. The research analyzes the foundational principles, governance structures, and implementation challenges that characterize each nation's response to the ethical imperatives of the genomic era, particularly in the aftermath of the 2018 He Jiankui incident. A comparative legal and policy analysis was conducted examining primary and secondary sources including constitutional provisions, federal regulations, academic commentary, and institutional documentation covering recent developments to 2025-2026. The United States presents a mature yet fragmented bioethics landscape characterized by decentralized governance, robust institutional review mechanisms, and growing attention to group-level ethical considerations. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) mandates that at least 5% of its budget be dedicated to studying the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genomic research—a pioneering commitment that has shaped global discourse . The Common Rule (45 CFR 46) provides the foundational framework…

This study falls within SDG Focus Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions — Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all; Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels; Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms. This study examines the comparative approaches to legal pluralism and the recognition of customary law in South Africa and Bolivia, focusing on how each country's constitutional frameworks, judicial interpretations, and institutional mechanisms shape the relationship between state law and indigenous normative systems. The research analyzes the tensions between legal pluralism and constitutional supremacy, the treatment of gender equality within customary law, and the challenges of harmonizing diverse legal traditions within unified state structures. A comparative constitutional and legal analysis was conducted examining primary and secondary sources including constitutional provisions, judicial decisions, academic commentary, and institutional documentation covering the post-1990s constitutional reform periods to 2025-2026. South Africa presents a sophisticated model of legal pluralism rooted in its transformative constitutional project following apartheid. The Constitution of 1996 explicitly recognizes customary law as part of the legal order, subject to constitutional supremacy and fundamental rights protections. The Constitutional Court has played a pivotal role in defining the parameters of customary law recognition through landmark decisions including Shilubana v Nwamitwa (2009) on traditional leadership succession, Bhe v Magistrate Khayelitsha (2005) on primogeniture and inheritance rights, and Mayelane v Ngwenyama (2013) on consent requirements for customary marriages…

This study falls within SDG Focus Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals — Target 17.14: Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development; Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources; Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. This study examines the comparative approaches to multi-stakeholder partnerships for SDG implementation in Germany and Ghana, focusing on how each country's unique governance structures, historical contexts, and institutional frameworks shape the design and effectiveness of partnership mechanisms. The research analyzes the formal structures for stakeholder engagement, the integration of science and civil society into policy processes, and the innovative partnership models emerging in both national contexts. A comparative policy and institutional analysis was conducted examining primary and secondary sources including government documentation, United Nations reports, academic research, and contemporary case studies covering recent developments to 2025-2026. Germany presents a mature, institutionally embedded model of multi-stakeholder partnership operating within a federal governance system. The country's approach is characterized by formal structures that systematically integrate diverse stakeholders into policy processes. The Subcommittee on Sustainable Development in Lower Saxony, established for the 2021-2027 EU funding period, exemplifies this approach: voting members represent state institutions, regional trade associations, academia, and civil society organizations, with advisory members able to participate in activities . Meeting six times since 2022, the subcommittee has made valuable contributions to debates on criteria for examining compliance with the cross-cutting principle of sustainable development and…

This study examines the comparative dynamics of South-South cooperation and cultural exchange in Brazil and India, two rising powers with distinct approaches to engagement with the Global South. Despite their shared status as influential developing nations and their leadership within BRICS, both countries have pursued divergent pathways shaped by historical trajectories, diplomatic philosophies, and institutional designs. The research employs a comparative case study methodology, drawing on policy documents, cooperation agreements, academic research, and scholarly analyses spanning multiple decades to 2026. Brazil has emerged as a distinctive voice in South-South cooperation, emphasizing horizontal partnerships, non-intervention, and the sharing of domestic policy successes. Under Presidents Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, Brazil positioned itself as a "development partner" rather than traditional donor, leveraging technical expertise in agriculture, health, and social protection. The flagship program, Mais Médicos (More Doctors), exemplified Brazil's approach—inviting Cuban doctors to serve in underserved areas while building local health capacity . Brazil's cooperation emphasized "structural" projects transferring Brazilian policies in conditional cash transfers, family farming support, and social welfare . However, this approach faced challenges: limited institutionalization left programs vulnerable to political shifts, as evidenced by the Bolsonaro administration's dismantling of South-South cooperation infrastructure . Cultural exchange through the Instituto Guimarães Rosa (formerly Centro Cultural Brasileiro) network promotes Portuguese language, Brazilian music, dance, and literature across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean . Yet Brazil's South-South cooperation has been criticized as driven by commercial interests and a desire for global influence rather than genuine solidarity . India presents a…