By: Angelo Cardona, Board Member of the International Peace Bureau (IPB) and Co-founder and Co-president of the Iberoamerican Alliance for Peace (Alianza Iberoamericana por la Paz – AIPP)
I had the honor of participating in the ECOSOC Youth Forum’s side event titled “The Impact of the Global Increase in Military Expenditure on the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, representing the International Peace Bureau (IPB).
The speakers emphasized how the rising global military expenditure—which has now reached an all-time high of $2.4 trillion—directly undermines efforts to achieve the SDGs, especially those related to poverty eradication, education, health, climate action, and peace (SDGs 1, 3, 4, 13, and 16). During the event, I contributed to the discussion by sharing insights from IPB’s Global Campaign on Military Spending (GCOMS) and how the campaign aims to address this issue.
I also highlighted the crucial role that the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) has played as a supportive partner during our Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS), particularly in amplifying the campaign’s message and advancing the peace and disarmament agenda on the global stage.
Furthermore, I invited fellow participants to take action by joining our upcoming Social Media Storm on April 28, encouraging them to share powerful infographics and visuals on the repercussions of excessive military spending. Through these collective digital efforts, we aim to raise awareness and call for the reallocation of military budgets toward social needs and sustainable development.