For its final Global Crisis Watch of the year, the Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM), will step back from its usual format. This session, taking place Friday, December 26 at 10am GMT, will provide a year-in-review analysis, examining how these developments interacted and what they reveal about deeper patterns in geopolitics, economics, security and institutional resilience.

The past year has been defined by events that materially transformed the global risk environment. From the return of Donald Trump to the White House and ongoing uncertainty surrounding Ukraine, to fragile ceasefires in the Middle East, market-sensitive political moments in the UK and the rise of radical political movements across Europe, 2025 repeatedly challenged assumptions about stability, governance and the international order.

Looking ahead, a recent Economist article by Tom Standage highlighted ten trends shaping 2026. Trump’s transactional, norm-shattering approach will continue to influence global politics, from America’s 250th anniversary and midterms to the broader international order. Analysts foresee ongoing geopolitical drift, tensions in Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza, grey-zone provocations in Europe and the South China Sea, and increasing pressures on Europe to balance defence, growth and climate goals. Meanwhile, China may expand its influence in the Global South. Economic fragility, AI-driven disruption and a mixed climate outlook – where clean technology grows even as policy challenges persist – will shape the year ahead.

These are all subjects that have been discussed in detail in the GCW calls over the last year, and will no doubt continue to be discussed in 2026,along with other subjects that will come to the fore in both local and global issues.

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