UN (AP) – The rising global military spending will reduce essential investments in health, education and job creation and will not guarantee peace, the UN chief warned Tuesday.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there is clear evidence that heavy military spending often undermines peace by “fueling the arms race, deepening distrust, and diverting resources from the foundation of stability.”
and Surge in military spending To a record $2.7 trillion after a decade of military accumulation, the United Nations studied its impact on the 2030 UN Development Goals. The resulting report, “Security We Need: Re-aligning Military Expenses for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future,” will be discussed at the annual World Leaders meeting at the General Assembly from September 22nd.
17 goals adopted by world leaders 2015 includes ending global hunger, promoting health and providing quality education for all children; Reduce global inequality. In a July report on the status of targets for 2025, Guterres said only 35% of them are on track.
He said Tuesday that his report was a call for action to readjust global budgets and spending, highlighting the current trajectory of military spending is “unsustainable.”
“A safer world starts with investing in the fight against poverty as much as we fight against war,” Guterres told UN reporters.
According to his report, the Stockholm Institute for International Peace, global military spending of $2.7 trillion last year is projected to reach $6.6 trillion by 2035 if the current trend continues. And the rise in military spending has been widespread, with over 100 countries boosting spending last year.
“Even a small portion of today’s military spending can bridge important gaps,” Guterres said, “putting children into schools, strengthening primary healthcare, expanding clean energy and resilient infrastructure, and protecting the most vulnerable.”
Less than 4% of last year’s military spending – just $93 million needs each year to end hunger by 2030, the report says. $5 trillion can fund 12 years of quality education for all children in low- and middle-income countries.
While the billion dollars in military spending could create around 11,200 jobs for the military, the report says the same amount could generate 26,700 for education, 16,800 for clean energy and 17,200 for healthcare.
“Readjusting global priorities is not an option. It is essential for the survival of humanity,” China Island, the UN disarmament chief, told reporters.
Haoliang Xu, representative administrator of the UN Development Programme, emphasized that development is essential to maintaining international peace and security.
“When people live a healthy, educated, dignified life, their society is often more peaceful,” he said. “And vice versa, underdeveloped societies often experience anxiety and violent conflicts with high poverty rates.”
Nakajima was asked how the UN could persuade the country to spend more money to reduce military spending and improve the lives of more than 8 billion people. “There’s no single silver bullet,” she said.
The purpose of the report is to launch a very serious conversation among the 193 member states of the United Nations, and to rethink how global security can be achieved by investing more in development and economic growth.
___
