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] The Department of State's Bureau of Counterterrorism will send a Department of Justice team to Peru to improve bilateral coordination and information sharing on efforts to combat the Tren de Aragua, which President Trump designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Mirage News
• [New] Together with international financial institutions, the EU plans to mobilize approximately €2 billion for infrastructure development in the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus. The Astana Times
• [New] Thirty US universities could lose federal funding unless they review and cut foreign academic partnerships the Pentagon considers a national security risk within the next two weeks, under a Pentagon directive aimed largely at ties to Chinese institutions. The Guardian
• [New] Black communities should not be expected simply to trust official conclusions when American institutions have a long history of minimizing, mischaracterizing, or failing to investigate violence against Black people. Race, Racism and the Law
• [New] South Korea's SSN project threatens regional peace by causing a regional nuclear race. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] BRICS Chairmanship provides India with an opportunity to strengthen faith in the push for global stability, diversification, and peace, and to gain considerable negotiating leverage that will benefit India's strategic autonomy, both directly and indirectly. BRICS
• [New] Iran is not at peace with the United States and will not recognize Israel. The Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute
• [New] A fragile Middle East peace agreement could reduce inflation pressure if energy and food prices move lower, but both remain a strain on household budgets. Diamond Hill, a First Eagle investment company
• [New] There is a governance risk specific to US institutions. TechBullion
• [New] The UN system in Colombia said its teams will remain in contact with national institutions as the full scale of humanitarian needs becomes clearer. UN News
• [New] The Board of Peace roadmap fails to resolve the dispute over the timing and sequencing of Hamas demobilization: Israel demands Hamas disarm before it would withdraw, and Hamas demands Israel withdraw before it will hand over its weaponry. The Soufan Center
• [New] The disarmament agreement, a key component of the Trump 20 Point Peace Plan for Gaza, might provide the U.S. with leverage against Iran by demobilizing one of Tehran's armed non-state allies. The Soufan Center
• Signs of progress for a potential peace deal in the Iran war have helped cool oil prices and, in turn, have eased inflation worries that could prompt a Fed rate hike and pushed Treasury yields lower. ST
• Oil prices eased due to peace talks in Iran, lowering inflation fears and Treasury yields, while stocks like SpaceX and Airbnb surged after positive reports. ST
• Financial institutions will come under closer scrutiny in the UAE under the new National Strategy for Anti-Money Laundering unveiled recently. Khaleej Times
• Regulation should focus on capability, risk and enforceable controls rather than model openness alone, while recognising that resilient institutions must adapt to a world where powerful AI tools are widely available. Mishcon de Reya LLP
• AI is being adopted across the UK justice system faster than its impact on the public can be independently evaluated, a new report has warned. UKAuthority
• The U.S. Department of Justice has characterized ransomware as an emerging professionalized cybercrime model, and the White House cybersecurity strategy designates crypto ransomware as a National Security Threat. SpringerLink
• In Canada, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs warned of foreign state interference and the exploitation of domestic institutions by extremist networks. The Jerusalem Post
• Concurrently, Iran is contending that it has the right to control shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with the fate of the peace agreement at risk as a ceasefire becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. sdwia.com
• A faltering peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran has become a critical indicator of where oil and energy prices might be headed. sdwia.com
• More than 200 economists and AI researchers - including 16 Nobel laureates and senior figures from Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic - have issued a coordinated statement urging governments and institutions to act immediately on the economic disruption that artificial intelligence is expected to cause. Renascence

Last updated: 24 August 2026