UN Chief Calls for Peace, Urges Leaders to Rebalance Priorities

Children in Gaza celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire in October 2025.

As the world enters 2026 amid mounting crises, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark but hopeful New Year appeal, urging global leaders to shift resources away from destruction and toward development, peace, and people.

“The world stands at a crossroads,” he said, warning that conflict, climate breakdown, and systemic violations of international law are eroding trust in leadership worldwide.

“People everywhere are asking: Are leaders even listening? Are they ready to act?” he added.

Guterres underscored the scale of global suffering, noting that more than a quarter of humanity now lives in conflict-affected areas. Over 200 million people require humanitarian assistance, while nearly 120 million have been forcibly displaced by war, crises, disasters, or persecution.

Against this backdrop, he highlighted a profound imbalance in global priorities.

“As we turn the page on a turbulent year, one fact speaks louder than words: global military spending has soared to $2.7 trillion,” he said, nearly 10 percent higher than the previous year.

That figure, he stressed, is 13 times higher than total global development aid and equivalent to the entire GDP of the African continent. If current trends continue, military spending could more than double to $6.6 trillion by 2035, even as humanitarian needs continue to rise.

A Path to Hope

Despite the grim statistics, the Secretary-General emphasized that solutions are within reach.

In September 2025, he launched the report The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future, showing how relatively small shifts in spending could deliver transformative results.

Less than four percent of current military expenditure could end world hunger by 2030, the report finds, while just over 10 percent could fully vaccinate every child. Redirecting 15 percent would more than cover the annual cost of climate adaptation in developing countries.

“It’s clear the world has the resources to lift lives, heal the planet, and secure a future of peace and justice,” Guterres said.

Call to Action

Looking ahead, he delivered a direct message to leaders globally:

“On 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.”

Addressing people everywhere, he added: “Play your part. Our future depends on our collective courage to act.”

“In 2026,” he concluded, “I call on leaders everywhere: Get serious. Choose people and planet over pain. Let’s rise together—for justice, for humanity, for peace.”