Global Scans · 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] Without a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem outside the borders of Israel, no territorial concession will bring peace. The Washington Institute
• [New] Worldwide, regulators and financial institutions have sought to encourage stronger speak-up cultures, recognising that concerns raised by employees can provide an early indication of misconduct, control failures and emerging risks. Risk.net
• [New] The Bank for International Settlements is warning that near-record public debt and the growing role of hedge funds and other nonbank financial institutions have created what it calls a fiscal-financial stability nexus. Armstrong Economics
• [New] America strategically avoided intervening in European affairs to shield its economy, avoid costly conflicts, and allow its new domestic institutions to mature without foreign interference or the risk of being crushed by superior military powers. The Science Survey
• [New] Fraud remains a major challenge for global financial institutions, with corporate and wholesale fraud presenting far greater risks and losses than retail fraud. Fraud Deep Dive 2026
• [New] The Australia-Solomon Islands pact will be an interesting case to see whether new pacts are actually about local peace and security priorities, or just bilateral aid negotiations by another means, with a side serving of Australia's strategic denial. Lowy Institute
• [New] The latest security pact, between Fiji and Australia makes mention of peace in the title and UN norms of seeking peaceful settlements to disputes but does not explain what peace is and how it might be achieved. Lowy Institute
• [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] Experts at institutions ranging from Zurich Insurance to Tavoni's think-tank estimate 2026's flash drought is likely to deal a short-term economic blow to Europe of at least €50bn, which could rise significantly if the water shortages drag on. Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen
• [New] Putin said that Ukraine's and Europe's peace proposals are exotic and unacceptable to Russia and noted that Russia will only participate in negotiations that reflect ground realities. Critical Threats
• [New] A durable peace on the Korean Peninsula will not come from accepting permanent division or validating the sovereignty claims of the Kim family regime. UPI
• [New] Financial institutions should price sovereign-annulment risk into Panamanian exposure models. CES Intelligence
• [New] RBS is increasingly important in highly interconnected financial systems, where risks emerge not only at the institution-level but also across networks that span financial institutions, payment providers, cloud service providers, and third-party data intermediaries. CGAP
• [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] 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
• [New] As Germany's constitution protects academic freedom, equipping researchers and research institutions with the knowledge needed to take legal action against attacks could be beneficial. Chemistry World
• [New] American policymakers have begun to recognize the risk of parallel financial institutions. Hudson Institute
• [New] DHS asserts that U.S. educational institutions will continue to attract foreign students because U.S. institutions offer a high-quality education. Federal Register
• [New] Institutions such as UNAM, IPN, UAM, and UNADM will face cuts of between 2% and 8% in 2026, in addition to a real 7.2% cut for state universities. BNamericas
• [New] 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

Last updated: 31 August 2026