“Achieving peace is not passive or automatic. It’s an active and deliberate choice to invest in a better future.” United Nations 2026

United Nations

@UN

 

“Achieving peace is not passive or automatic. It’s an active and deliberate choice to invest in a better future.” 

 

Ahead of Monday’s International Day of Peace, @antonioguterres calls on world leaders to invest in a peaceful future for all people. 

 

 https://un.org/en/observances

 

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine, or at least fair and just laws and policies here, there- and everywhere]   

 https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace/message

UN Secretary-General's Message

As we mark the International Day of Peace, we face a world where this vital asset is in dangerously short supply.

Communities are shaken by violence and division.

Conflicts are growing in scale and complexity, spilling across borders and inflicting enormous suffering.

Dialogue is faltering, solutions are elusive and global solidarity is missing in action.

But 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.  

Like this year’s theme — “Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day” — these champions of peace are showing us that achieving peace is not passive or automatic.

It’s an active and deliberate choice to invest in a better future.  

By building inclusive communities where peace can take hold.

By investing in sustainable development — in people’s health, education, nutrition and social protection.

By bridging divides and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard.

By safeguarding the human rights and dignity that belong to every person.

And by strengthening the proven tools of peace — diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation and peacekeeping.

On this International Day of Peace, let us all be inspired by the courage of those who champion peace in neighbourhoods, classrooms and communities. 

And let’s call on world leaders to invest in a peaceful future for all people.  

António Guterres
 

Secretary-General's remarks at the UN Peace Bell Ceremony

Each year, the toll of the Peace Bell reminds us of the most important and consequential job we have: 

Building peace. 

Peace is never a passive achievement. 

Peace is hard work. 

Peace is action.  

But in our world today, action for peace is faltering. 

Violence and division are tearing apart communities.

Conflicts are widening and deepening. 

People are suffering. 

And the dialogue and solidarity that solutions require are missing in action. 

But where governments are failing to deliver peace, people are showing another way. 

Around the world, volunteers, advocates, civil society leaders, peacekeepers and peacemakers are doing the heavy lifting of peace. 

Raising their voices.

Bridging divides. 

Healing communities. 

Through their actions, large and small, they are bringing to life the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace: “Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.” 

As world leaders prepare to gather at the United Nations in the coming weeks, I urge them to follow the lead of these champions of peace. 

By investing in sustainable development — in people’s health, education, nutrition and social protection. 

By building institutions and systems that people can trust. 

By safeguarding the human rights and dignity that belong to every person. 

By re-committing to the proven tools of peace — diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation and peacekeeping. 

And by ending wars and conflicts. Now.  

Today, I call on world leaders to stand with us:

Take action;

Invest in solutions;

And do the hard work of building lasting, sustainable peace. 

This is the last time I will ring the Peace Bell. 

But I will always stand with the champions of peace around the world. 

Thank you.

António Guterres
9 September 2026