Our Scans · (LF.16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

• [New] In the US, over 90% of financial institutions were exposed to illegal mining risk. Business Insider
• [New] Any potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine would not end the threat the Kremlin poses to Europe. Stars and Stripes
• [New] Rebuilding Gaza amid ongoing truce violations will require a whopping US$ 70 billion - a distant dream that will only gain a foothold if peace agreements succeed in stopping genocide and destruction. Afrasia
• [New] Iranian leaders have devolved powers to lower-level officials in response to the combined force's strikes targeting senior officials and central decision-making institutions, likely to ensure continued state functions despite disruptions to central Iranian leadership. Critical Threats
• [New] The current conflict, if it lasts long enough and does not quickly find a solution in line with the wishes of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, could deal a severe blow to the flourishing economy of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, as an airport hub and haven of peace for the very rich. Institut Jacques Delors
• [New] All institutions and US businesses should review and comply with the US Treasury's Sanctions Compliance Framework to help identify and hedge sanctions risks. Acceleron Bank
• [New] By keeping diplomatic lines open, Bangkok hopes to ease tensions and allow international institutions to play a mediating role. Thailandblog
• [New] As institutions enter the 2026 SREP cycle, the ECB is signaling a shift from remediation to enforcement in respect of unresolved climate-risk deficiencies. JD Supra
• [New] EU and Swiss regulatory frameworks explicitly require in-scope companies and financial institutions to develop and disclose credible transition plans - showing how capital expenditure, business model, and strategy will evolve to align with climate targets. Generation Impact Global
• [New] UK financial institutions operate under a dual framework: prudential risk expectations from the PRA and consumer-facing sustainability standards from the FCA. Generation Impact Global
• [New] Investment will be made in Canada's Indigenous Justice Strategy, which identifies priority actions to address systemic discrimination and overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system. SenCanada
• [New] Driven by regulation and institutions, the size of tokenized assets will grow by 1000 x by 2030. MEXC
• [New] 2026 is seen by major institutions as the first year that stablecoins and RWAs (real-world assets) will move from proof-of-concept to large-scale commercial use. MEXC
• [New] Top institutions are fiercely debating whether Bitcoin's volatility will fall below Nvidia's, whether the threat of quantum computing is imminent, and who will win the battle for AI payment layers. MEXC
• [New] The escalating Middle East conflict threatens civilians and regional and global peace and stability. The Asia Cable
• [New] Ultimately, the Board of Peace will only matter if it moves beyond Gulf reconstruction financing or transactional diplomacy and instead addresses systemic security dilemmas. Modern Diplomacy
• [New] A Board of Peace could attempt to convene a Southern Asian Strategic Stability Dialog focused on nuclear risk reduction, including confidence-building measures, no-first-use reaffirmations, and missile notification agreements. Modern Diplomacy
• Illicit finance poses a global threat; undermining economies, weakening democratic institutions, and destabilising the rules-based international order. Department of Home Affairs Website
• For financial institutions (and lawyers advising them), the ECB decision and current UK regulatory approach underscore that climate and environmental risk governance should be treated as a prudential matter, not merely a sustainability disclosure issue. Mishcon de Reya LLP
• Institutions that failed to meet subsequent deadlines were made subject to binding requirements and potential penalties, with Credit Agricole now becoming the second Eurozone bank (after Spain's ABANCA) to face a climate risk related fine. Mishcon de Reya LLP

Last updated: 16 March 2026