The Central Bank of Syria is sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. However, by making international aid agencies use a distorted exchange rate, the Assad regime has been able to divert nearly 51 cents of every international aid dollar spent in Syria in 2020—filling the Central Bank with foreign reserves.

SOURCE: "How the Assad Regime Systematically Diverts Tens of Millions in Aid" by CSIS's Natasha Hall, Karam Shaar, and Munqeth Othman Agha.

In FY 2022, the U.S. Army took a risk by maintaining force structure despite its budget declined by $3.6 billion dollars. To maintain end strength within a declining total budget, the Army made cuts to both modernization and readiness.

SOURCE: "U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Army" by CSIS's Mark Cancian.

With more than 25 years of operations, the North American Development Bank (NADB) has been crucial in developing environmental infrastructure in the U.S.-Mexico border region and improving the quality of life for Mexico’s border region residents. For example, from 1995 to 2015, wastewater treatment coverage in the region rose 70 percent.

SOURCE: "The Next 25 Years of the North American Development Bank" by CSIS's Dan Runde.

While bilateral energy trade between the U.S. and Canada fell by nearly 40 percent last year due to economic downturns in both countries, electricity trade showed growth potential by increasing 11 percent—illustrating how Canadian hydroelectricity could help meet greater U.S. electricity load over the coming decades.

SOURCE: "U.S.-Canada Energy Trade: Set for a Rebound" by CSIS's Ben Cahill.