Even as diplomatic efforts inch closer than ever to resolving two of the most devastating conflicts of our time – in the Middle East and Eastern Europe – the latest iteration of the Global Peace Index underscores a deeper, structural crisis: the world is becoming less peaceful, with our response being dangerously lopsided.
Three key findings in the report accompanying the index – which is a globally leading measure of peacefulness released every year by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace – demand urgent attention.
First, 119 countries are now less peaceful than they were in 2008, with violent conflict as the primary driver of this deterioration. Second, the number of active state-based conflicts reached 61 in 2024 – the highest since the end of the Second World War – having doubled over the past 15 years.
The third finding is the most telling: global expenditure on peacebuilding and peacekeeping stood at just $49.2 billion last year. That figure represents a mere 0.5 per cent of total military spending when measured in purchasing power parity terms. Simply put, the resources devoted to preventing conflict, mediating disputes and rebuilding communities are insufficient.
“Let him who desires peace prepare for war,” the Roman public servant Vegetius is believed to have written in the fourth or fifth century AD. His remark, made with the core principles of readiness, deterrence and peace through strength in mind, reflects the thinking that exists in many capitals around the world today. New data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute confirms that global military spending surged last year – for the 11th year in a row.
This imbalance in expenditure is self-defeating. Pouring huge sums into military capabilities without comparable investment in prevention and resolution creates a vicious cycle. Conflicts spread, military responses escalate and the underlying grievances, whether they are political, economic or social, remain unresolved.
If there’s anything the current conflicts have shown, it’s that countries need a smarter peace – not merely a stronger defence. A strategic rebalancing towards diplomacy, early warning systems, reconstruction and sustained peacebuilding is therefore essential.
The UAE offers a compelling model. Through proactive mediation and stabilisation initiatives, it has played constructive roles in efforts to try to resolve Israel’s war in Gaza, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the civil war in Sudan and the earlier Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions. Abu Dhabi has, in recent months, hosted talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations as well as the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The UAE’s emphasis on dialogue, humanitarian corridors and post-conflict recovery shows that peacebuilding is often more effective and less expensive than the destructive alternatives. It also demonstrates that middle powers can bridge divides when traditional institutions falter in today’s fragmenting world.
At a time when traditional bodies like the UN struggle for relevance, bilateral and regional diplomacy must fill the gap. Apart from reducing the human and economic toll of war, greater investment in peacekeeping, conflict prevention and reconstruction would also strengthen international credibility and co-operation.
As former US president Ronald Reagan once said: “Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” Policymakers must move beyond militarisation and commit seriously to the more patient work of building peace.
In a world growing weary of conflict – as is evident from the urgency shown in the talks to end the Iran war – the choice going forward has become clear: invest meaningfully in prevention and diplomacy today, or pay a steeper price in blood and treasure tomorrow.
