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Amid a backdrop of global democratic backsliding and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States, Costa Rica, Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia cohosted the second Summit for Democracy on March 29 and 30.

Is “America First” compatible with international cooperation? That question will get even louder in 2018, as world leaders gather for ten pivotal meetings. Collectively, they will reveal whether President Donald J. Trump’s first year was an aberration—or the start of the post-American world.

The most pressing issues facing the world today are rapidly evolving. The environmental effects of climate change are accelerating and threatening the health and livelihoods of millions. Emerging technologies have few guardrails, despite the rapid pace of their development, causing far-reaching implications for labor, health, privacy, and ethics.

This year saw many challenging developments: global temperatures shattering records, conflicts raging around the world, growing food insecurity, and the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. In 2024, global summits will continue to play a crucial role in bringing world leaders together to drive commitments and coordinate responses to these and other pressing issues.  

More than two years since the start of COVID-19, the world needs to ask itself whether it has the collective capacity to detect, diagnose, alert, and contain the next emerging or reemerging communicable disease.