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] If the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz is not quickly ended, anticipatory actions should be considered, in particular asking multilateral institutions to provide financing to countries at risk of losing access to basic fertilizer inputs, given their planting has started. CNS Media
• [New] The Iran war will permanently scar the global economy even if a durable peace deal in the Middle East can be reached. The Guardian
• [New] After an investigation into TikTok, the European institutions plan to take similar action against Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, as well as four porn sites. Wired
• [New] The United States will begin a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of high-stakes peace talks with Iran. Time
• [New] The role of religion remains fundamental in many societies and has the potential to play a critical role in fostering Middle East peace. The Washington Institute
• [New] China will continue to actively engage in mediation for a ceasefire, striving to restore peace and stability to the Middle East at an early date. The Washington Institute
• [New] China has always been a steadfast force for peace, stands ready to continue playing a constructive role, and will dispatch its special envoy on the Middle East issue to regional countries for mediation. The Washington Institute
• [New] The Iranian side will do its utmost to guarantee the safety and security of Chinese personnel and institutions. The Washington Institute
• [New] The UAE attaches great importance to and will fully ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in the UAE. The Washington Institute
• [New] Peace and security in the world will be achieved through tackling poverty, reducing inequality and solving issues which cause destabilization through diplomacy and dialog, not through greater spending on defence. Religion Media Centre
• [New] The Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who buys or sells sanctioned Iranian oil. NCRI
• [New] Following a period of adaptive or hybrid learning - adjusted in response to global circumstances - in-person learning will resume in public and private educational institutions. Travel And Tour World
• [New] The rise of emerging States, their growing weight in regional and global arenas, and their demands for reform of the multilateral and international financial system give them an important weight that could materialize in other fields, such as peace and security. CEBRI Revista
• [New] The United States has warned that it will take strict legal action against anyone involved in trading sanctioned Iranian oil, as it moves ahead with a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz following failed peace talks with Iran. NCRI
• The multilateral institutions on which the middle powers have relied - the WTO, the UN, the COP - the architecture, the very architecture of collective problem-solving are under threat. FlippingBook
• Pakistani officials have privately expressed fears that Israel and the United Arab Emirates could still try to sabotage the peace process, especially as Israel has said Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire deal and trade through the strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked. The Guardian
• Iran could expect heavy bombing starting tonight if it does not accept the peace deal. Market Insights
• As the UN's peace and development functions remain underfunded, the weakening of the peace-development-humanitarian nexus risks further accelerating instability and diverting resources away from long-term development and conflict prevention. Bretton Woods Project
• Ankara is closely tracking the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions and wants the process completed without disruption to safeguard Syria and its neighbours.
• Analysts say the targeting of universities, and Iran's threats of retaliation against academic institutions abroad, point to a widening conflict and potentially diverging objectives among the parties involved. CNN
• A prolonged war with Iran, involving spillover risks, could jeopardize the US-led Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, a core part of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process formalized in the Washington Declaration in August. FDD

Last updated: 20 April 2026