UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. On New Year’s Eve, the UN Secretary General called on world leaders to “choose the planet and people” UN
On the eve of the new year, 2026, the UN Secretary-General called on world leaders to “set priorities” and invest resources in development, not destruction.
In his New Year’s message, António Guterres stressed that humanity is at a crossroads, with chaos and uncertainty reigning, and people around the world wondering whether their leaders are listening and are ready to act. According to Guterres, the scale of human suffering today is unprecedented: more than a quarter of the world’s population lives in conflict-ridden regions, more than 200 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, almost 120 million have been forced to flee their homes due to war, crisis, natural disaster or persecution. Against the backdrop of these problems, the UN head noted, what is especially alarming is the rapid growth of global military spending, which has reached $2.7 trillion, an increase of almost 10 percent over the year.If current trends continue, global military spending could more than double to $6.6 trillion by 2035. By comparison, the current volume of 2.7 trillion is 13 times the amount of all international development assistance and comparable to the combined GDP of the entire African continent. “In the new year, let’s resolve to get our priorities right. To create a safer world, we must first invest more in fighting poverty and less in fighting wars. Peace must prevail,” Guterres emphasized. In In September 2025, on behalf of UN member states within the framework of the Pact for the Future, a report was published that revealed deep imbalances in global spending and showed that even a small realignment of budgets could radically change the situation in the world. The report finds that less than four percent of current military spending is enough to end hunger by 2030; just over ten percent would be enough to fully vaccinate all children; and five trillion dollars could provide 12 years of quality education for every child in low- and middle-income countries. The study also found that investment in civilian sectors creates significantly more jobs and produces fewer emissions than military spending, and redirecting just 15 percent of the military budget could fully cover the annual climate change adaptation needs of developing countries. “The world has all the resources it needs to improve people’s lives, restore the planet and secure the future, based on peace and justice,” Guterres said. The UN chief concluded his address by calling on world leaders to “start taking this seriously”: “Let us choose people and planet over pain… Our future depends on our collective willingness to act. In this new year, let’s join forces. In the name of justice. In the name of humanity. In the name of peace.”