Latest update October 9th, 2026 6:21 PM
Invest in Peace
(Kaieteur News) – As the world observed International Day of Peace yesterday, the United Nations issued a renewed appeal for countries to invest in peace, dialogue and diplomacy, even as wars and conflicts continue to devastate communities across the globe.
This year’s observance was held under the theme, “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warning that peace is in dangerously short supply.
Guterres said communities are being shaken by violence and division, while 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,” he said in his message for the observance.
But the UN chief stressed that people are not powerless in the face of violence. Volunteers, civil society leaders, peacekeepers, advocates and ordinary citizens are helping to bridge divisions, unite communities and promote dialogue. The UN says International Day of Peace, observed annually on 21st September , is intended to strengthen the ideals of peace among nations and peoples. The General Assembly established the day in 1981 and, in 2001, designated it as a period of non-violence and ceasefire.
Guterres said peace cannot be treated as something that happens automatically once guns fall silent. Rather, it requires deliberate investment in people, institutions and communities. He called for greater investment in health, education, nutrition and social protection, while urging countries to protect human rights and dignity and strengthen diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation and peacekeeping.
That message also has relevance for Guyana, where the question of peace extends beyond wars between nations to the safety and security of citizens in their own communities. Guyana has recorded a decline in serious crime in recent years. Government figures show that serious crime fell by 16.9 per cent during the first half of 2026, while authorities have also set a target of reducing the overall crime rate and cutting murders. The Guyana Police Force recorded 130 murders in 2025, with a target of 117 for 2026. Those figures represent progress, but they should not obscure the continuing concerns of citizens about murders, robberies, domestic violence, youth crime, illegal firearms and the broader social conditions that can fuel criminal behaviour.
Peace, therefore, must mean more than the absence of war. It must also mean people being able to walk their streets without fear, children growing up in secure communities, families having access to opportunities and citizens having confidence in the institutions established to protect them.
The UN itself has described peace as a lived experience of safety, dignity, opportunity and cooperation.
Against that background, the Government of Guyana should also use its international voice more visibly on the conflicts now causing suffering around the world. Guyana has a long association with multilateral diplomacy and is a member of the United Nations. Its leaders should not be reluctant to speak clearly in support of international law, civilian protection, dialogue and negotiated settlements wherever wars and conflicts threaten human life. Such a position need not be partisan or selective. The principle should be consistent: civilians must be protected, human rights respected, international law upheld and disputes resolved through diplomacy wherever possible. Guterres has called on world leaders to take action, invest in solutions and do the hard work of building lasting, sustainable peace. For Guyana, investing in peace must begin at home through stronger communities, better opportunities for young people, effective policing, social development and respect for the rule of law. But it should not end at Guyana’s borders. This country should add its voice to the call for an end to wars, greater international cooperation and meaningful dialogue. Peace, as the UN reminds the world, is not passive. It is a choice and one that must be made every day, everywhere.
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