The 2014 CPD Annual Review demonstrates that although public diplomacy is present in every region of the world, it is predominantly in the northern hemisphere. North America is ranked the most active region in public diplomacy, with the United States contributing the most. Asia (Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia and Central Asia combined) comes in second, and Europe is third, with almost the same presence as Asia. As expected, China, Japan, and South Korea take the lead as the major actors in Asia Pacific. India is also very active in PD in South Asia.

As part of the CPD Annual Review process, in January we highlighted some of the year’s key public diplomacy moments in our Top 10 List of the most notable stories from 2014.

Launched in 2013, the CPD Annual Review was developed to serve as a guide to understanding the global landscape of public diplomacy, its ebbs and flows, its triumphs and its shortcomings.

2014 was replete with conflicts, crises and contingencies that forced the United Nations to face some of its most difficult challenges in recent history.

2014 was a trailblazing year for Indian foreign policy, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sustained emphasis on improving our major external relationships. Indians enter the New Year with a more involved and connected feeling towards the rest of the world because Mr Modi has been hyperactive in travelling abroad, hosting key global leaders at home, and winning hearts and minds on an international scale.

A look at the events in 2014 likely to have the most lasting impact on the region and beyond.