Outstanding international events in 2021

Let's review some of the world's most prominent events in 2021, which may even continue to attract international attention in 2022 and beyond.

COVID-19: VACCINE CAMPAIGNS AND VIRUS VARIANTS

People queue up to get the Covid-19 vaccine in the UK in August 2021. Photo: Reuters

Covid-19 vaccines were developed and produced at an astonishing pace in 2021, making them one of the biggest advances in saving lives and reducing infection rates.

Some vaccines are more than 90% effective against early Covid-19 variants. As of the end of November, 184 countries had deployed 7.4 billion doses of vaccines, and 70 countries had donated vaccines, although the issue of vaccine rejection and the lack of equitable distribution between countries has been a headache for many politicians.

The highly contagious Delta variant has become the “dominant” virus variant globally. Recently, before the end of 2021, the equally worrying Omicron variant was discovered, making it difficult to predict whether the fight against the pandemic that has claimed 5 million lives will push the world into another spiral in the coming months.

BROKEN SUPPLY CHAIN

Disrupted supply chains have had major impacts in 2021. Photo: BBox

“Supply chain” has become a popular phrase in 2021. Covid-19 has disrupted decades of business thinking. People clearly feel the negative side of the supply chain, when shortages and stagnation in faraway places affect and cause shortages and stagnation right in their own country and region.

Many businesses are facing a shortage of spare parts and supplies, and in March, the Ever Given container ship stuck in the Suez Canal caused another congestion in the world's main shipping route, causing losses of up to 9.6 billion USD/day.

During the year, many items were in short supply such as gas, palm oil, chicken, corn, sausages, etc.

Not to mention that in some places, where supplies are abundant, there is often a shortage of labor. The disruption of supply chains due to Covid-19 has contributed to high inflation around the world, which may have consequences for many years to come.

MIGRATION CRISIS - A TEST FOR MANY COUNTRIES

Many European countries have been criticized for their treatment of migrants. Photo: AFP

While the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a decline in international migration since 2020, it does not mean the end of migration crises. In addition to the impacts of the pandemic, economic hardship, political events and natural disasters, such as the assassination of the president and the subsequent earthquake, have caused thousands of Haitians to leave their country, causing migration to increase sharply.

The US must continue to maintain tough policies on migrants, the EU has recorded a 70% increase in illegal immigrants this year compared to the same period in 2020. The issue of migrants crossing the English Channel from France to the UK has sparked a diplomatic dispute between Paris and London...

Some 84 million people worldwide are already homeless, and conflict, economic downturn, and climate change could see that number rise further.

TALIBAN RETURNS TO POWER

Taliban forces patrol in Kabul city, Afghanistan on August 18, 2021. Photo: AP

The US war in Afghanistan has ended in the same situation as when it began 20 years ago: with the Taliban in power. US President Joe Biden ordered all US troops home by the September 11, 2021 deadline in April, and this announcement caused the Afghan government forces to disintegrate, while the Taliban gradually captured many important strongholds.

On August 15, the Taliban entered Kabul, trapping thousands of foreigners in the capital. The US launched a large-scale effort to evacuate American citizens before the August 31 deadline set by the Taliban.

It is estimated that the US has spent more than $2.3 trillion in two decades in Afghanistan, more than 2,500 US soldiers and 4,000 civilian contractors have died. The Afghan death toll has also exceeded 170,000.

IRAN PUSHES NUCLEAR PROGRAM

A uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, Iran. Photo: AP

At the start of the year, many were optimistic that the Iran nuclear deal could be “revived” three years after President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal, with Joe Biden taking office pledging to resume the deal if Iran returned to compliance. But then negotiations stalled, and in April Iran announced it would begin enriching uranium to 60%.

Five more rounds of talks took place before Iran's presidential election in June, a situation that changed when a new leader took power in the country. The sides returned to the negotiating table in late November, but Iran rejected the concessions made in previous rounds, repeating its original demand that the US lift all sanctions.

Many important events have shaped the turbulent year 2021. Illustrative photo

In addition, there are many other events to keep in mind in 2021, such as in January, Saudi Arabia agreed to reopen its border with Qatar, ending a three-year diplomatic crisis.

Or in mid-September, the AUKUS alliance was born, with the statement "Maintaining security and stability in the Indo-Pacific", which is considered a response of Australia, the UK and the US to China's advances.

It was also the explosion of the Pandora Files, with 12 million documents revealing how wealthy and powerful individuals and organizations use offshore accounts to evade taxes and hide money...

All of this has shaped a turbulent year, opening the new year 2022 with many unexpected developments.