Addressing the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned of spiraling military expenditures and a resurgence of confrontation-driven policies, urging states to rebuild trust and overhaul collective international security mechanisms.
Against the backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions and surging defense budgets, Guterres on Monday called for efforts to “rebuild the global security architecture,” cautioning that the world is entering a new era of arms races fraught with significant risks.
Speaking before the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, the UN chief described the current moment as “a time of chaotic change,” marked by “brazen” violations of international law and the “reckless use of force” across multiple regions.
He warned that these trends are fueling a dangerous dynamic, noting that global military spending reached nearly $2.7 trillion last year — thirteen times the level of official development assistance and roughly equivalent to Africa’s total gross domestic product.
Guterres cautioned against fear-driven security narratives, stressing that “disarmament is not a luxury reserved for times of peace,” but a vital tool for conflict prevention. He recalled that nuclear arms control efforts have helped avert “catastrophe” and significantly reduce global arsenals.
In this context, he welcomed the stated willingness of Russia and the United States to pursue binding commitments despite the recent expiration of the New START treaty. Signed in 2010, the agreement capped the strategic nuclear arsenals of the two powers, which together possess the vast majority of the world’s nuclear weapons.
The Secretary-General warned that the lapse of the treaty leaves a troubling vacuum in an already fragmented international environment shaped by strategic rivalries and the renewed normalisation of nuclear rhetoric.
Advocating for a “renewed international security architecture” grounded in cooperation and escalation prevention, Guterres urged the Conference on Disarmament to fully reclaim its role as a multilateral negotiating forum.
He underscored the urgency of halting the nuclear arms race, preventing the militarisation of outer space and, ultimately, advancing toward “the total elimination of nuclear weapons.”
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