The GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies / Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien is an independent social-science research institute based in Hamburg. It analyses political, social and economic developments in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and links them to questions of global significance. The GIGA combines this analysis with innovative comparative research in the fields of Accountability and Participation, Peace and Security, Growth and Development, and Power and Ideas across multiple levels of analysis.