Council of Councils
Think Global Health
Next year could bring the end of the age of arms control, an accelerated race for critical minerals, and more tariffs. Five CFR experts weigh in on these and other trends that will shape the world in 2026.
At a recent summit, several corporate CEOs expressed optimism about the year ahead, though they noted some concerns about U.S. economic security and technological support.
The world continues to grow more violent and disorderly. According to CFR’s annual conflict risk assessment, American foreign policy experts are acutely concerned about conflict-related threats to U.S. national security and international stability that are likely to emerge or intensify in 2026. In this report, surveyed experts rate global conflicts by their likelihood and potential harm to U.S. interests and, for the first time, identify opportunities for preventive action.
Global Governance
The rise of middle powers in recent decades has offered a counterweight to the strain created by the United States, China, and Russia in international affairs. But although middle powers challenge great power leadership within multilateral institutions, they also create stability within those institutions and have a vested interested in maintaining it.
Major global forums are scheduled in 2026 that will cover diverse topics including climate change, trade, and security. But the Donald Trump administration, as it continues to overhaul U.S. foreign policy, could unsettle the way such gatherings are held.
Numerous countries will hold elections in 2026. Here are ten to watch.
Humanitarian Crises
The world faces unresolved conflicts, growing climate crises, attacks on aid workers, two famines, and diminishing political will—along with significant aid cuts. Altogether, 2025 has earned a grim new superlative: the worst humanitarian year on record.
Refugees and Displaced Persons
The Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban and historically low annual admissions ceiling come as the number of refugees worldwide remains high.
Foreign Policy
As 2025 comes to a close, here are the ten most notable world events of the year.
CFR President Michael Froman analyzes President Donald Trump’s busy year of diplomacy and action, which perhaps forged a new brand of U.S. internationalism.
While the Treasury market is likely to remain stable next year, longer-term trade and fiscal trends—such as additional tariffs, questionable foreign demand, as well as rising deficits—risk pushing yields higher
Africa
Facing the Sahel’s growing terrorism threat, the Trump administration could discover that its avoidance of “long-term American presence or commitments” in Africa is impracticable.
The Trump administration’s accusations that Nigeria is allowing targeted killings of Christians distract from the bigger problem of jihadist and other forms of indiscriminate violence.
Strategic Initiatives
Securing Ukraine’s Future
Timely, informed analysis and practical policy recommendations for both the public and policymakers.
General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action
Events
In its important new report, U.S. Economic Security: Winning the Race for Tomorrow’s Technologies, the CFR Task Force on Economic Security finds that strategic competition over the world’s next generation of foundational technologies is underway, and U.S. advantages in artificial intelligence, quantum, and biotechnology are increasingly contested. The high-level, bipartisan Task Force warns that economic security risks, especially overconcentration of critical supply chains in China and underinvestment in strategically important areas at home, threaten American leadership in these three crucial sectors of the future. The Task Force report provides a comprehensive view of vulnerabilities that the United States must address and offers practical recommendations for mobilizing the resources needed to prevail.
For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question-and-answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register.
This Task Force is part of RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership, a CFR initiative of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.
Members may bring a guest to this event.
State and Local Governments (U.S.)
Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, discusses the economic impacts of federal policies on U.S. agriculture and international commodity markets.
Panelists discuss the status of the conflict in Sudan, including the deteriorating condition of civilians, the prospect for regional stability, and the options for an international response.
This is a virtual meeting through Zoom. Log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question-and-answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register.
Sergei Chapnin, director of communications at Fordham University's Orthodox Christian Studies Center; Katherine Kelaidis, director of research and content at the National Hellenic Museum; and Andreja Bogdanovski, freelance journalist and analyst, will discuss the role of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in global affairs. Timothy Snyder, senior fellow for democracy at CFR and Richard C. Levin professor of history at Yale University, will moderate the discussion.
Experts in the News
Explainers
The Extent of Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis
More than two years into the civil war in Sudan, about twelve million people have been forcibly displaced. Yet experts say the country’s devastating humanitarian crisis is still not getting the international attention it deserves.
Expert Spotlight
Featured Publications
An approachable guide to the political, social, and demographic changes happening in Africa and why they matter for the rest of the world.
David J. Scheffer and Mark S. Ellis provide an introduction to the UN Charter and make the case that it is the most important secular document in the world.
Few Americans have done more than Jerome A. Cohen to advance the rule of law in East Asia. The founder of the study of Chinese law in the United States and a tireless advocate for human rights, Cohen has been a scholar, teacher, lawyer, and activist for more than sixty years. Moving among the United States, China, and Taiwan, he has encouraged legal reforms, promoted economic cooperation, mentored law students—including a future president of Taiwan—and brokered international crises.
In this compelling, conversational memoir, Cohen recounts a dramatic life of striving for a better world from Washington, DC, to Beijing, offering vital first-hand insights from the study and practice of Sino-American relations. In the early 1960s, when Americans were not permitted to enter China, he met with émigrés in Hong Kong and interviewed them on Chinese criminal procedure. After economic reform under Deng Xiaoping, Cohen’s knowledge of Chinese law took on a new importance as foreign companies began to pursue business opportunities. Helping China develop and reconstruct its legal system, he made an influential case for the roles of Western law and lawyers. Cohen helped break political barriers in both China and Taiwan, and he was instrumental in securing the release of political prisoners in several countries. Sharing these experiences and many others, this book tells the full story of an unparalleled career bridging East and West.