UN Chief to world leaders: Get serious. Choose people and planet over pain

Opening the year with an urgent appeal, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on world leaders today to get "priorities straight" and invest in development, not destruction.

"As we enter the new year, the world stands at a crossroads. Chaos and uncertainty surround us," says Guterres in his message for 2026. "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, 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 in 2024 to an astonishing $6.6 trillion by 2035 - if current trends persist. Data shows that $2.7 trillion 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.

"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," urges Guterres.

In September 2025, the Secretary-General, as requested by UN Member States in the 2024 Pact for the Future, launched a report that revealed a stark imbalance in global spending. 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 future:

Less than four per cent (or $93 billion) of $2.7 trillion is needed annually to end hunger by 2030. A little over 10 per cent ($285 billion) can fully vaccinate every child. With $5 trillion, the world could fund 12 years of quality education of every child in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Moreover, while military spending generates jobs, other civil sectors can generally create more jobs with the same resources - $1 billion in military spending can create approximately 11,200 jobs in the military but it can create 26,700 in education, 16,800 in clean energy and 17,200 in health care.

Reinvesting 15 per cent or $387 billion of the global military spending is more than enough to cover the annual costs of climate change adaptation in developing countries. It would also reduce emissions intensity: by some estimates, each dollar spent on the military generates over twice the greenhouse gas emissions of a dollar invested in civilian sectors.

"It's clear the world has the resources to lift lives, heal the planet, and secure a future of peace and justice," says Guterres. "In 2026, I call on leaders everywhere: Get serious. Choose people and planet over pain."

"This New Year, let's rise together: For justice. For humanity. For peace."