UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on world leaders and citizens to invest more in peace as the world faces rising conflicts, violence, and divisions that are causing great suffering for millions.

Mr Guterres said this in his message on Monday marking the International Day of Peace, observed globally on September 21.

The day is dedicated to world peace and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone to allow humanitarian aid access.

“Achieving peace is not something that just happens. It is a shared and decisive choice to invest in a better future,” the UN chief said.

‘Invest in Peace’ is the 2026 theme of the International Day of Peace, echoing the founding principles of the UN, built amid the ashes of the Second World War.

As world leaders gather at UN Headquarters for the annual High-level Week, Mr Guterres called on them to strengthen diplomacy, dialogue, mediation and peacekeeping operations as essential means of preventing and resolving conflicts.

The UN is mandated by its 193 Member States to help nations prevent, resolve and recover from conflict.

Indeed, peace, a vital resource for human development, remains elusive in many parts of the world as conflicts increase in scale and complexity, he said.

The UN secretary-general said that, in the face of this, finding solutions had been challenging, with international solidarity weakening.

Lasting peace must be built through inclusive societies, sustainable development and respect for human rights.

“Around the world, people are showing that we are not powerless. 

“Volunteers, advocates, civil society leaders, peacekeepers and peacemakers are bridging divides, uniting communities, and pushing for dialogue. Action by action, they are building peace from the ground up.

“These grassroots efforts show that peace can only be achieved through deliberate decisions to invest in a better future,” he said.

Meanwhile, at an event marking the day at the UN’s hub in Nairobi, Kenya, young people weighed in.

Pointing to “something that does not help in maintaining peace”, Benedict Wambuya, an agriculture and technology student at Jomo Kenyatta University, reflected on recent deadly crackdowns at home, when young people felt State authorities were violating their rights.

“As young people, we are hardly ever involved in peace discussions around the world.

“We are not participating enough in maintaining peace around the world. We should seek to understand our leaders, come together, work together and maintain peace,” he said.

Benedict Kioko, a Kenyatta University student, agreed.

“For peace to last, there must be mutual understanding,” he said. “We must talk to one another so that we can reach an understanding. Often, peace has been disrupted because there has been a lack of dialogue or understanding between two different sides.”

Festus Musau, a student at the Technical University of Kenya, said, “Everything is connected to peace.”

“For peace to thrive in a country,” he said, “it must begin with every individual.”

Many societies around the world face violence and division while conflicts spill across national borders. 

(NAN)