However, amidst these daunting challenges, there are reasons for world leaders to hold hope that 2025 could mark the beginning of a more connected and unified global community.
A recent United Nations Security Council report highlights that the international peace and security landscape will continue to experience significant fluctuations in the new year. After a painful and tumultuous 2024, the world remains gripped by the aftermath of conflicts and instability as it steps into 2025. Nevertheless, positive signals have begun to emerge, reflecting efforts to foster cooperation, address challenges collectively, and promote dialogue and reconciliation, albeit tentatively.
Conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, Ukraine, and other hotspots will undoubtedly continue to pose global security threats. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), the death toll from conflicts in 2024 increased by 30% compared to 2023.
Much attention is now focused on the incoming US administration under President-elect Donald Trump. Trump has vowed to adjust the US’s approach to current military flashpoints with an emphasis on reduced intervention by Washington and greater reliance on allies.
Trump has repeatedly stated his intent to swiftly end the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine. He has announced plans to engage in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to find solutions to these lingering tensions. A glimmer of hope appeared when Russia and Ukraine exchanged over 300 prisoners in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.
Regarding the ever-volatile Middle East, Eurasia Review predicts that Trump’s return to the US presidency will open a new, complex chapter in the Gaza conflict. During his first term, Trump took unilateral actions supporting Israel, notably recognising Jerusalem as its capital, which provoked widespread dissatisfaction among Palestinians and the Muslim world.
The future of the Middle East remains uncertain. Currently, the Biden administration is racing against time to broker a ceasefire and facilitate a hostage exchange between Israel and the Hamas movement as Biden’s term concludes this month.
The ongoing Gaza conflict, which erupted in October 2023, has fuelled global animosity and sparked a rise in “lone wolf” terrorist attacks, including a New Year’s Day assault on a crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana, the US.
Experts assert that the prevention of lone-wolf attacks is particularly challenging due to the lack of detectable communication trails that intelligence agencies can intercept to thwart plots.
In today’s technological era, cybercrime represents another escalating security threat, with increasing scale, scope, and sophistication. The UN General Assembly’s adoption of the United Nations Cybercrime Convention, also known as the “Hanoi Convention”, at the end of 2024 marked a significant milestone in the global fight against invisible adversaries in cyberspace.
Amid these intertwined challenges, it is critical for nations to strengthen security measures, enhance information sharing, and coordinate efforts to combat crime. Above all, solidarity, reconciliation, and prioritising the safety and lives of people are essential to effectively addressing these issues. Retaliating with violence only perpetuates an unending cycle of hatred and revenge.
