New‑Year address urges governments to shift spending from war to poverty relief

An unidentified speaker delivered a brief New Year’s address on Jan. 1, 2026, urging world leaders to shift resources away from military spending and toward poverty reduction and climate action.

The speaker opened by saying the world "stands at the crossroads," warning of "chaos and uncertainty," rising conflict, climate breakdown and "systemic violations of international law." The address framed 2026 as a moment for leaders to act rather than rely on rhetoric.

The speech cited a sharp rise in arms expenditures as evidence of misplaced priorities. "Global military spending has soared to $2,700,000,000,000, growing by almost 10%," the speaker said, and added that this level of spending is "13 times more than all development aid equivalent to the entire Gross Domestic Product of Africa" (the transcript reads "Grama Domestic Product of Africa").

The speaker argued that those resources could be redirected to "lift lives, heal the planet, and secure a future of peace and justice," and urged policymakers to "get our priorities straight" and to "invest more in fighting poverty and less in fighting war." The address closed with an appeal for collective action: "This new year, let's rise together for justice, for humanity, for peace."

No formal policy proposals, votes or legislative actions were recorded in the transcript; the speech functions as a public appeal and does not document responses from named officials.