In his address on the occasion of the arrival of 2026, António Guterres urged world leaders to "rethink priorities" and invest in development rather than destruction. According to the UN News Service, this address was made against the backdrop of growing chaos and uncertainty in the world, where people are questioning whether their leaders hear them and are ready to act.
Guterres pointed to the unprecedented scale of suffering faced by humanity: more than 25% of the world's population lives in conflict zones, over 200 million need humanitarian assistance, and nearly 120 million have been forced to leave their homes due to wars and natural disasters. He also expressed concern about the rapid increase in military spending, which reached $2.7 trillion in 2025, rising by almost 10% in one year.
If this trend continues, military spending could double by 2035, reaching $6.6 trillion, which is 13 times the total amount of international development aid and comparable to the GDP of the entire African continent.
"In the new year, let’s prioritize correctly. To create a safer world, we need to invest more in fighting poverty and less in waging wars. The world must prevail," emphasizes the Secretary-General.
According to a report published in September 2025 at the request of UN member states under the Pact for the Future, even a small change in budget allocations could significantly alter the situation in the world.
The report states that less than 4% of current military spending is enough to eradicate hunger by 2030; just over 10% would suffice to vaccinate all children; and $5 trillion would provide 12 years of quality education for every child in low- and middle-income countries.
Moreover, the research showed that investments in civilian sectors create more jobs and have a smaller carbon footprint than military spending. Redirecting 15% of the military budget would be sufficient to meet the annual needs of developing countries for climate change adaptation.
"The world has all the necessary resources to improve people's lives, restore the planet, and ensure a future based on peace and justice," Guterres concluded.
The Secretary-General ended his address with a call to world leaders to "take the matter seriously": "Let’s choose people and the planet, not suffering... Our future depends on our collective readiness to act. In the new year, let’s join forces for the sake of justice, humanity, and peace."
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