Holy See at UN: Build Lasting Peace through Development, Not Military Spending

Vatican, Oct 13, 2025: Global military spending reached $2.7 trillion in 2024, while the annual funding gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stood at $4 trillion. For every dollar invested in peace, two were spent on war. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, told the UN: “Every increase in military spending represents resources that could have been used to meet people’s basic needs and to establish a lasting peace.”

A paradox that undermines multilateralism

Archbishop Caccia described the contradiction of our times: “The vision of multilateralism for the common good is at odds with the current context of rising military expenditure and falling Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitments.” While military spending surged to $2.7 trillion in 2024, the SDG funding gap remains at $4 trillion annually. This imbalance shows that for every dollar spent on peace, two are channelled into war—resources meant for life continue to be outpaced by those that bring destruction.

“Every increase in military spending,” Archbishop Caccia warned, “represents resources that could have been used to meet people’s basic needs and to establish a lasting peace.” Instead of being directed towards healthcare, education, or food systems, these funds—citing Pope Leo XIV—are diverted to weapons “that destroy lives and livelihoods.” This paradox, he added, “undermines the spirit of fraternity on which multilateralism depends, making the goal of sustainable development increasingly unattainable.”

Full confidence in the United Nations

The Archbishop affirmed that a renewed commitment to multilateralism offers “the most reliable basis for lasting solutions”—and that the United Nations “continues to serve as a beacon of hope for multilateralism.” In a world increasingly torn by conflict and division, he said, “this institution represents the conviction that dialogue and cooperation are the only lasting paths to peace and development.” Such cooperation, he added, shows “the path to which the entire international community should be committed.”

The burden of debt

He further highlighted that the weight of debt continues to oppress the least developed countries, landlocked nations, and small island states—condemning them to structural dependence. In a second statement, Archbishop Caccia emphasised that “at stake are both the achievement of integral development for all and the principle that every country must be treated with equal respect and as an equal partner in the international community.”

He denounced “the unsustainable debt burden” and reiterated the call for debt cancellation. In the Jubilee Year, he stressed, this “is not only an economic policy choice, but above all a moral imperative” for the Holy See. “The global financial system must be directed towards the goal of attaining the common good of the human family.” In this regard, he urged the international community to renew its sense of shared responsibility.

Holy See at UN: Build Lasting Peace through Development, Not Military Spending

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