International Extemporaneous Speaking Topics

You can choose a different topic per round. Make sure you upload the video to your entry.

1. Central Asia and Eastern Asia

• In light of recent, severe crackdowns on military corruption within the PLA, is Xi Jinping's grip on China's armed forces strengthening, or is it exposing deep systemic vulnerabilities?
• How will the recent expulsion of mainland-born politicians from Taiwan's Legislative Yuan impact the broader stability of cross-strait relations in 2026?
• With Presidents Trump and Xi scheduling multiple summits this year, are the two nations inching toward a sustainable trade equilibrium, or merely managing a deeper economic decoupling?

2. Environmental Issues

• As global demand for electric vehicles surges, how can the international community effectively mitigate the severe environmental degradation and human toll caused by cobalt mining in the Global South?
• Will the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into global agriculture alleviate escalating food and water insecurity, or will it exacerbate the environmental impacts of traditional farming?
• Does the UN's 2026 Global Forest Goals Report indicate a genuine global shift toward sustainable land-use, or are current anti-deforestation measures failing to outpace corporate agricultural expansion?

3. Europe (including Russia)

• Is the European Union's aggressive strategy to block Chinese overcapacity in clean energy components economically sustainable, or will it derail Europe's own climate goals?
• With the UK heavily criticizing Russia's "war-dependent economy," how long can Moscow sustain its current conventional military output in Ukraine without facing a total domestic fiscal crisis?
• How will shifting structural imbalances and declining consumer demand inside Russia alter Vladimir Putin’s asymmetric warfare strategy against NATO allies?

4. Global Human Rights

• As the UN observes the International Day Against Homophobia, what meaningful diplomatic or economic levers can international bodies use against nations actively expanding anti-LGBTQ+ legislation?
• How is the escalating conflict and violence in Sudan and South Sudan impacting the efficacy and safety of the UN's peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in the Abyei region?
• Does the international community have the leverage necessary to address the targeted abductions and human rights abuses currently being perpetrated by the Tigray Defense Forces in Ethiopia?

5. International Diplomacy

• Is the rising global trend of "New Economic Nationalism" permanently dismantling the post-Cold War era of laissez-faire diplomacy and free trade?
• Can the newly proposed critical mineral alliances between the U.S. and Europe successfully bypass China's chokehold on rare earth elements?
• Following the dramatic U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro, will Washington's renewed assertiveness in the Western Hemisphere stabilize Latin American politics or ignite fierce regional blowback?

6. International Economics

• How should emerging markets navigate the increasing pressure to choose between the United States' interventionist industrial strategies and China's entrenched Belt and Road Initiative?
• Will the influx of multibillion-dollar Canadian and foreign investments into Mexico fundamentally shift the balance of economic power within the CUSMA/T-MEC framework?
• Can the global market safely absorb China's surging industrial capacity in mature-node semiconductors without triggering a catastrophic, retaliatory global tariff war?

7. Militaries and Armed Conflicts

• What are the immediate geopolitical and economic implications of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) expanding their insurgency into the lucrative gold mining regions of the DRC?
• Following recent mass-casualty drone strikes and bombings by FARC dissidents in Cauca, is Colombia's "Total Peace" strategy officially dead?
• How will the escalating gang turf wars between MS-13 and Barrio 18, and the subsequent extension of the "state of prevention," affect long-term democratic stability in Guatemala?

8. Northern Africa and Western Asia

• In the wake of recent military posturing and escalations between the U.S. and Iran, is a return to any formalized nuclear or economic framework politically feasible for either nation in 2026?
• Can the deeply divided political and military factions in Libya establish a viable path to democratic elections amidst the continued presence of foreign mercenaries?
• How does the continued absence of a formalized final status for the Abyei demilitarized area threaten to ignite a broader, regional war between Sudan and South Sudan?

9. Northern America and Central America

• Will the recent expansion of the Canada-Mexico Comprehensive Strategic Partnership diminish the United States' leverage in upcoming North American trade dispute resolutions?
• As the Guatemalan government relies heavily on extended states of emergency to combat organized crime, is President Arévalo sacrificing democratic norms for short-term security?
• How will the upcoming, highly contested change in Guatemala's attorney general impact the effectiveness of the nation's broader anti-corruption mandate?

10. South America and the Caribbean

• How will the sudden surge in FARC dissident violence directly impact the electoral prospects of Iván Cepeda and the left-wing coalition in Colombia's looming presidential election?
• With a crowded electoral calendar and shifting ideological tides in 2026, is Latin America poised for a permanent pivot toward right-wing, market-friendly governance?
• Following the unprecedented U.S. intervention in Venezuela, what are the immediate border security and economic implications for neighboring Colombia and Brazil?

11. South-eastern Asia, Southern Asia, and Oceania

• According to the 2026 State of Southeast Asia Survey, why has U.S. leadership under the Trump administration overtaken the South China Sea dispute as the region's top geopolitical concern?
• Can ASEAN overcome its internal technocratic deficiencies and developmental disparities to present a unified economic front against U.S.-China bipolarity?
• How are worsening climate change and extreme weather events fundamentally reshaping the national security and defense priorities of Southeast Asian nations?

12. Sub-Saharan Africa (Eastern, Middle, Southern, Western Africa)

• With Chad and Niger recently added to the U.S. Level 4 travel advisory, is the Western counterterrorism strategy in the Sahel facing a total and irreversible collapse?
• How will the TPLF's controversial decision to unilaterally reinstate Tigray's 2020 regional government affect the fragile peace brokered by the Pretoria agreement in Ethiopia?
• Can French President Emmanuel Macron successfully mitigate the growing, widespread regional backlash against France's military and economic presence in West Africa?

13. The World Next Week

• As the UN observes World Day for Cultural Diversity next week, how should international tribunals hold state actors accountable for the active suppression of indigenous cultures in conflict zones?
• With the first round of Colombia's presidential elections rapidly approaching on May 31, how will next week's final campaign pushes address the paralyzing fear caused by escalating EMC violence?
• As global leaders convene for the UN's World Telecommunication and Information Society Day next week, what tangible funding mechanisms must be secured to bridge the growing digital lifeline divide in the developing world?