United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that global military spending reached US$2.7 trillion in 2025, urging stronger oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as concerns over nuclear weapons grow.

Global military expenditure is 13 times higher than all development aid worldwide and equal to the entire Gross Domestic Product of Africa.

Guterres said the world is facing a dangerous shift in nuclear disarmament, with the number of nuclear warheads increasing for the first time in decades.

The UN chief delivered the warning during the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

He said nuclear testing is once again being considered, while some governments are openly discussing the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

“Have we forgotten that a nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought? Have we forgotten that nuclear weapons make no one safer? Have we forgotten that the only reason the world did not tumble into the abyss was because leaders stood together and said, 'Enough'?" Guterres asked.

He said the international community had built a network of agreements and instruments over the decades to prevent the use, spread and testing of nuclear weapons and work toward their total elimination.

Guterres called the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons the foundation of those efforts, saying it remains a key platform for countries to strengthen collective security and a strong example of multilateral cooperation.

He warned that the treaty has been weakening for years, with major commitments still unfulfilled.

The UN chief also called for stronger support for the International Atomic Energy Agency, which promotes the peaceful use of nuclear energy and ensures compliance with safeguards against the spread of nuclear weapons.

Currently, 181 of the United Nations’ 193 member states are members of the IAEA.

Report: Blanche Goreses
Photo: UN