NEW YORK - United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is spending far more on waging wars than on building peace, citing a new United Nations report showing that global military expenditure reached a record US$2.7 trillion in 2024.
According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Guterres stressed that this massive rise in military spending undermines development goals, fuels arms races, and diverts vital resources away from health, education, and other foundations of stability.
He noted that in 2024, global military spending surged to a record US$2.7 trillion -- the equivalent of US$334 for every person on Earth -- nearly 13 times the amount of official development assistance from the world's wealthiest nations, and 750 times the UN's regular budget.
"At the same time, our shared promise of sustainable development is in jeopardy. Only one in five Sustainable Development Goal targets is on track.
"The financing gap is growing -- and so is the cost of inaction," the UN chief speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters on the release of the report, titled "The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future".
Guterres stressed that redirecting even a small portion of military expenditure could bridge critical gaps, adding that the path to a better future is possible if diplomacy is prioritised, transparency and accountability are ensured in defence budgets, and funding for development plans is enhanced.
He acknowledged that governments have legitimate security responsibilities -- protecting civilians, safeguarding infrastructure, and addressing immediate threats -- but stressed that lasting security cannot be achieved by military spending alone.
Guterres said that the report is a call to action to rethink priorities and to rebalance global investments toward the security the world truly needs.
He warned that excessive military spending does not guarantee peace. "It often undermines it -- fuelling arms races, deepening mistrust, and diverting resources from the very foundations of stability". - BERNAMA-QNA