Key Metrics
13.42
Heat Index-
Impact LevelMedium
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Scope LevelGlobal
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Last Update2025-12-29
Key Impacts
Positive Impacts (6)
Negative Impacts (2)
Event Overview
The UN Secretary-General advocates for a reallocation of resources from military spending to development, emphasizing the disparity between global military expenditures and development aid. He highlights the escalating intensity of conflicts and calls for prioritizing human development over arms.
Collect Records
UN Secretary-General Urges Leaders to Prioritize Development Over Military Spending
In his 2026 New Year video address, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on world leaders to allocate resources for development rather than military spending. He highlighted that global military expenditures have risen to $2.7 trillion, which is 13 times the total amount of global development aid and equivalent to the GDP of the entire African continent. Guterres also noted that the intensity of conflicts has reached its highest level since World War II. He warned that if the current trend continues, military spending will further increase over the next decade, while humanitarian crises are intensifying. Guterres stressed that the world has sufficient resources to improve people's lives, restore the planet, and ensure a peaceful and just future.