The 2025 geopolitical calendar
17 Jan 2025|

The geopolitical landscape in 2025 is set to be defined by volatility, with the world more fragmented and polarised than ever before.

In this complex and interconnected global environment, staying attuned to the key events shaping international dynamics is essential. From high-stakes summits to pivotal elections and landmark anniversaries, here are some of the key events to watch in 2025.

January

The year begins with a flurry of leadership transitions across global institutions and groupings. South Africa is president of the G20 and Canada is president of the G7 for 2025. This year Malaysia chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Solomon Islands is chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Brazil is BRICS chair and Iraq is president of the UN’s Group of 77 and China.

Vanuatu will form a new government following a snap election on 16 January, just a month after the devastating earthquake in Port Vila and two months after the shock dissolution of its parliament. Iran’s president is set to visit Moscow on 17 January to sign a landmark comprehensive strategic partnership, deepening the relationships between the two countries.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat will take place in Malaysia from 18–19 January.

On 19 January, the TikTok ban in the United States is set to take effect, with the company so far refusing to divest from ByteDance.

The next day, 20 January, will mark Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos will run from 20 to 24 January. Meanwhile, the Belarusian presidential election is set for 26 January. President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has run the country since 1994 and is expected to ‘win’ again.

February

The Australian parliament begins the 2025 sitting year on the fourth. Senate Estimates kicks off later in the month.

The AI Action Summit in France on 10 and 11 February will gather heads of state, civil society and business leaders to ensure AI benefits the public interest rather than exacerbating inequalities.

From 14 to 16 February, the Munich Security Conference will convene in Germany. Domestically, Germany will head to the polls on 23 February for an early federal election, after the coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a no-confidence vote in December.

24 February marks the grim third anniversary since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Russia signals it’s open to peace talks with incoming US president, Donald Trump.

In other news, NASA’s SPHEREx is set to launch in late February, a two-year mission to map the entire sky in optical and near-infrared light for the first time to explore the origins of the universe.

March

China’s annual Two Sessions parliamentary meeting will commence on 5 March, offering insights into Xi Jinping and the CCP’s priorities for 2025.

International Women’s Day is on 8 March, as women’s rights decline globally.

Meanwhile the 69th Commission on the Status of Women, marking 30 years since the Beijing Declaration, will take place in New York from 10 to 21 March and push for renewed commitments to women’s rights and gender equality. The UN Development Cooperation Forum will also be held in New York from 12 to 13 March.

The Observer Research Foundation will host the Raisina Dialogue from 17 to 19 March in New Delhi to discuss geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges.

Here in Australia, the (early) federal budget is scheduled for 25 March, in anticipation of the federal election which must be held no later than the 24th of May.

April

The 2025 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group will take place from 25 to 27 April in Washington.

30 April marks the first 100 days of Trump’s administration in the United States.

May

Albania will hold a parliamentary election on 11 May, allowing voting abroad for the first time. The Philippines will hold a general election on 12 May, with enhanced security protocols already in place to prevent any election related violence. The Copenhagen Democracy Summit will take place from 13 to 14 May. Poland will hold a presidential election on 18 May. Australia’s federal election must be held by 24 May.

Global health will take centre stage at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva (27 May 27–1 June). The assembly is overdue to adopt the Pandemic Agreement, which would be the first global framework for international pandemic preparedness and response.

The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue from 30 May to 1 June will gather the defence and security community in Singapore to discuss Indo-Pacific security challenges.

June

Canada will host the 51st G7 summit from 15 to 17 June. The Netherlands will host the 2025 NATO summit from 24 to 26 June in The Hague, for the first time since NATO was founded. This summit will be particularly significant given the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as the implications of Trump’s return to the White House.

June will include commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Korean War’s outbreak, on the 25th.

The Internet Governance Forum will be held in Norway at the end of June, the largest ever UN meeting held in Norway, bringing together the multistakeholder community to discuss the future of internet governance and digital policy. The forum’s mandate will expire in 2025, and its renewal is part of the WSIS+20 Review being undertaken in 2025.

July

The UN’s AI for Good Global Summit will be held in Geneva from 8 to 11 July. As conflict continues between Israel and Palestine, 11 July marks the 25th anniversary of the Camp David Summit, a reminder of past efforts to achieve peace in the region.

The UN’s High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development will take place in New York from 14 to 24 July.

July will see the largest iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre, with 19 countries invited to participate in the biennial bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States. A British Carrier Strike Group will deploy to Australia and take part.

The annual BRICS summit is scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil sometime in July. China is set to host the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit likely some time before the end of July.

August

Bolivia will hold a general election on 17 August.

AUSMIN was held in August last year, and with the incoming US administration and the upcoming Australian federal election, will possibly occur around the same time this year.

A California-based startup, Vast, is expected to launch the first commercial space station, Haven-1, on a SpaceX rocket in August.

September

September kicks off with the 54th Pacific Islands Forum in Solomon Islands (8–12 September).

Norway will hold a parliamentary election on 8 September, as the Norwegian prime minister calls Elon Musk’s increasing interference in European politics worrying.

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly will open on 9 September, with the high-level leader’s week starting on 23 September. 21 September is the UN’s International Day of Peace.

October

7 October marks the two-year anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel, although with the news of a ceasefire deal  hopefully there will be a cessation of fighting soon.

Canada’s federal election is due no later than 20 October, and Ireland’s presidential election by 27 October.

November

November is summit season. The month kicks off with the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Brazil from the 10th to the 20th. With last year’s conference a failure, 2024 the hottest year on record, and this December marking the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, this one will be a crucial moment for decisive global climate action.

Chile will head to the polls for its general election on the 16th.  Meanwhile, the G20 Summit will take place on the 22nd and 23rd in Johannesburg, South Africa, being held in Africa for the first time. The Singaporean general election must be held by 23 November.

Dates have yet to be announced, but November will also see the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea and the ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit in Malaysia.

December

AUKMIN was held in December last year and may occur around the same time this year.

Other events

Several other important developments are anticipated in 2025, although dates have yet to be announced.

Vladimir Putin reportedly plans to visit India sometime in early 2025, while Russian state media reports Xi Jinping will visit Russia sometime during the year.

A Quad Leaders’ Summit is planned for India in the second half of 2025. Britain has commissioned its first ever externally led strategic defence review, which will be released at some point during the year.

Australia’s annual Indo-Pacific Endeavour exercise will take place sometime in late 2025. The International Court of Justice is expected to deliver its advisory opinion on states’ obligations in respect to climate change sometime in 2025.