Top 10 Content of 2025

05 January 2026

Wondering which topics captured the attention of our audience in 2025? This is an opportunity to revisit the GCSP’s most-read articles and publications of the year, which generated strong interest and global conversation. 

These pieces highlight the themes that resonated most with our community and helped shape key discussions throughout 2025. Explore the selection and catch up on what you may have missed.

This toolkit, authored by Dr Walter Kemp under the direction of Ambassador Thomas Greminger, is the culmination of extensive consultations with world-renowned ceasefire experts and offers innovative strategies for achieving a sustainable ceasefire in Ukraine.

This piece examines how Cold War dynamics continue to influence today’s geopolitical landscape. By revisiting concepts such as deterrence, blocs, and ideological competition, it sheds light on why historical frameworks remain relevant in understanding contemporary tensions.

This piece examines how Cold War dynamics continue to influence today’s geopolitical landscape. By revisiting concepts such as deterrence, blocs, and ideological competition, it sheds light on why historical frameworks remain relevant in understanding contemporary tensions.

Safeguarding against the abuses of digital authoritarianism will be a key challenge for 21st-century democracy, as digital technologies have expanded how states can exert societal control. Join Mr Federico Mantellassi to learn more about AI-powered surveillance and the information ecosystem.

Criticism of the United Nations Security Council and calls for reform have long persisted, and have become more urgent in recent years. However, deeply entrenched interests, geopolitical rivalries, and institutional inertia – rooted in colonial-era hierarchies and power asymmetries – present significant obstacles. This In Focus, written by Dr Jennifer Parlamis, calls for a commitment to reaffirming the core UN principles as an essential step in the reform process, and emphasises that any outcome short of abolishing the P5’s permanent membership and veto power would be misaligned with the UN’s core animating values.

Diplomatic efforts are being intensified to bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an end. But who should make the first moves and how can the deep lack of trust between the two countries be overcome? Progress will require de-escalation measures and what has been described as ‘costly signals’. This In Focus was written by Walter Kemp.

There have been several coup d’états in West Africa and the Sahel in recent years, raising concerns about the future of democracy. The question is, why is democracy in crisis and military regimes on the rise in these regions? This article, written by Dr Olayinka Ajala, briefly explores some key issues affecting these processes. 

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 marked the beginning of one of the most intense and brutal state-on-state conflicts opposing two modern militaries in recent memory. Through an analysis of the conflict, authors Dr Jean-Marc Rickli and Mr Federico Mantellassi explore how emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence impact conflicts of this scale and how relevant they are to current modern warfare.

Decades of economic globalisation have often pushed geopolitical concerns to the margins of business strategy. In this latest Strategic Security Analysis, authors Jean-Marc Rickli and Richard Lukacs emphasise the critical need for businesses to integrate geopolitical considerations into boardroom discussions. They argue for creating a Chief Geopolitical Officer role to help organisations navigate an increasingly polarised and unpredictable global landscape effectively.

This paper by Kevin Esvelt discusses ways to safeguard civilisation from the misuse of biotechnology, as current trends indicate the possibility of crucial information coming into the hands of individuals who could single-handedly cause new pandemics. 

 

Thank you for making 2025 a year of impactful discussions and exploration. Stay engaged as we continue to deliver thought-provoking insights in 2026!