New York: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on world leaders to get “priorities straight” and invest in development, not destruction.
Guterres made the call in a message for 2026, delivered in a statement by his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, on Monday.
“It’s clear the world has the resources to lift lives, heal the planet, and secure a future of peace and justice.
“In 2026, I call on leaders everywhere: Get serious. Choose people and planet over pain,’’ he said.
The UN chief said: “As we enter the new year, the world stands at a crossroad. Chaos and uncertainty surround us.
People everywhere are asking: Are leaders even listening? Are they ready to act?”
Today, the scale of human suffering is staggering – over one-quarter of humanity lives in areas affected by conflict.
“More than 200 million people globally need humanitarian assistance, and nearly 120 million people have been forcibly displaced, fleeing war, crises, disasters, or persecution.
“As we turn the page on a turbulent year, one fact speaks louder than words: global military spending has soared to 2.7 trillion dollars, growing by almost 10 per cent.”
Yet, as humanitarian crises around the world intensify, global military spending is projected to more than double – from 2.7 trillion dollars in 2024 to an astonishing 6.6 trillion dollars by 2035 – if current trends persist.
Data shows that 2.7 trillion dollars is thirteen times the amount of all global development aid combined and is equivalent to the entire Gross Domestic Product of the continent of Africa.
“In this New Year, let’s resolve to get our priorities straight. A safer world begins by investing more in fighting poverty and less in fighting wars. Peace must prevail,” he said.
In September 2025, the Secretary-General, as requested by UN Member States in the 2024 Pact for the Future, released a report revealing a stark imbalance in global spending.
It is called The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future.
The report examines the difficult trade-offs presented by the increasing global military spending, making a powerful case for investing in peace and in people’s futures:
According to the report, less than 4 per cent (93 billion dollars) of the 2.7 trillion dollars needed annually is required to end world hunger by 2030.
A little over 10 per cent (285 billion dollars) of 2.7 trillion dollars could fully vaccinate every child.
“5 trillion dollars could fund 12 years of quality education for every child in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
“Spending 1 billion dollars on the military creates 11,200 jobs, but the same amount creates 26,700 jobs in education, 17,200 in healthcare, or 16,800 in clean energy.
“Reinvesting 15 pr cent (387 billion dollars) of the 2.7 trillion dollars is more than enough to cover the annual costs of climate change adaptation in developing countries.
“Each dollar spent on the military generates over twice the greenhouse gas emissions of a dollar invested in civilian sectors,” it said.
