Geopolitical Calendar

2023	Event	Location
16-20 Jan 2023	World Economic Forum Annual Meeting	Global
Leaders from government, business and civil society will convene to address the state of the world and business in the year ahead in Davos (Switzerland). The theme is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World” with COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine conflict impacts being central issues.
03 Feb 2023	EU-Ukraine Summit	EU/Ukraine
A summit between the EU and Ukraine will take place in Kyiv (Ukraine). The ongoing conflict as well as financial assistance will likely be the focal points of the meeting.
05 Feb 2023	Russian refined oil ban	EU
The EU implement its ban on Russian refined oil products, including diesel, raising the prospect of shortages due to low domestic production capabilities.
09-10 Feb 2023	European Council Meeting	EU
The European Council of EU leaders will meet to discuss migration and competitiveness between the US and China.
23-25 Feb 2023	G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting	Global
Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of G20 members will gather in Bengaluru (India) to discuss global financial issues, including energy prices and inflation rates.
25 Feb 2023	General Election	Nigeria
Nigeria will hold general elections on 25 February 2023 and gubernatorial elections on 11 March 2023. The campaign period formally began on 28 September 2022. Incidents of political violence are likely to increase after the campaign period begins and candidates begin to organise rallies. Meanwhile, decision-making is likely to slow as attention increasingly turns towards the elections.
22-24 Mar 2023	UN Water Conference	Global
The UN Water Conference will focus on the linkages between water, health, sustainable development, climate resilience, and environmental cooperation. It is the first meeting on the water security specifically since 1977.
15-16 Apr 2023	G7 Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment	Global
The meeting will take place in Sapporo (Japan).
19-23 May 2023	G7 Summit	Global
The G7 summit will take place in Hiroshima (Japan).
24 Jun 2023	General Election	Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone will hold general elections on 24 June 2023. Politicking is likely to persist in the coming months. Incumbent Julius Maada Bio is currently the favourite to secure re-election.
1 Jul 2023	Spain takes over Council of the EU presidency	EU
Spain takes over from Czechia in the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, until 31 December 2023. Achieving a deal on the Fit for 55 climate package will be one of the main objectives.
11-12 Jul 2023	NATO Summit	Global
The NATO Summit will take place in Vilnius (Lithuania).
9-10 Sep 2023	G20 leaders’ Summit	Global
The G20 Leaders’ Summit will take place in New Delhi (India). Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen “One Earth, One Family, One Future” as the theme.
12-30 Sep 2023	Opening of the 78th UN General Assembly	Global
The Russia-Ukraine conflict will likely remain top of the agenda at the annual meeting.
30 Nov - 12 Dec 2023	Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28)	Global
COP28 will take place in Dubai (UAE). As a result of disappointing progress at COP27, members will be under pressure to make significant progress in securing commitments to reducing carbon emissions.
November-December 2023	General Election	Spain
Spain will hold general elections. Incumbent PM Pedro Sanchez is trailing the favourite centre-right People’s Party in opinion polls. Sanchez’s left-wing coalition has also shown signs of splintering, further casting doubt on his re-election chances.