2024, the year in which the global order reveals its fractures
Amid these turmoil, China continues its methodical rise as a global power. Through the (AIIB) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the BRI (Belt and Road) initiative, Beijing expands its influence in Africa and Latin America, weaving a network of economic and diplomatic relationships that redraws the map of global influence.
The technological revolution, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, adds a new layer of complexity to this scenario. The European Union’s implementation of the AI Act represents a pioneering attempt to establish regulatory frameworks for these emerging technologies, while the European Digital Services Act seeks to address the growing challenges of disinformation and digital governance.
The climate crisis, far from being just a backdrop, is emerging as one of the main challenges to global stability. The Global Carbon Budget 2023 recorded a new all-time high in CO2 emissions, reaching 36.8 ± 1.8 gigatons. This alarming data contrasts with the insufficiency of international responses, evidenced by the Green Climate Fund’s challenges in meeting the financing targets established in the Paris Agreement.
As we look ahead to 2025, it becomes evident that we are living not just in a time of change, but a changing era. The liberal international order, established in the post-Cold War, shows increasing signs of fatigue, while new configurations of power emerge in a context of multiple overlapping crises. The challenge that presents itself is not just one of governance or international politics, but of reimagining the very foundations on which we build our understanding of international relations.
The inevitable conclusion is that 2024 was not just another difficult year — it was a year that spelled out the urgent need to rethink the foundations of our global order. International institutions, in their current form, are increasingly inadequate to deal with contemporary challenges. The emerging world demands not just incremental adjustments, but a profound reconceptualization of the mechanisms of international cooperation and global governance. The question remains whether we will be able to achieve this transformation before the multiple crises we face reach a point of no return.
