The head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Haoliang Xu, has called for renewed international commitment to foreign aid, warning that development assistance is crucial to building peace in a world increasingly shaken by conflict and crisis.

Speaking ahead of a major UN conference in Spain, Xu stressed that development cooperation should not be viewed as competing with military or trade priorities. “This is not a zero-sum game,” he said. “Investing in development and peace helps create stability in fragile regions and ultimately benefits all nations.”

The four-day conference in Seville, which begins Monday, aims to reinvigorate global efforts to finance sustainable development. With at least 50 world leaders expected to attend, the event marks the most significant gathering on development financing in the past decade.

Xu pointed out that the majority of the world’s poorest populations now live in countries affected by conflict and instability. He warned that cuts in foreign aid by wealthy nations—many of which have simultaneously increased defence spending—risk deepening global insecurity.

In 2024 alone, global military spending soared to a record $2.7 trillion, a 20% increase from the previous year. At the same time, aid budgets in countries such as the United States and across Europe have been slashed.

“Supporting stability in developing countries isn’t charity—it’s a smart, long-term investment,” Xu argued. He explained that strong development cooperation reduces the root causes of forced migration, prevents regional spillovers of conflict, and relieves the burden on wealthier nations facing secondary impacts of global crises.

Xu also warned of the ripple effects of instability. “Crises in one region inevitably affect others, even those that currently seem secure and prosperous,” he said.

According to recent figures, the number of armed conflicts around the globe reached its highest point since 1946. The World Bank estimates that by 2030, as many as 435 million people will be living in extreme poverty—defined as surviving on less than $3 a day—in countries plagued by conflict and fragility.

The Seville summit is seen as a crucial opportunity to reshape global funding strategies, refocus attention on development goals, and ensure that international cooperation plays a central role in tackling poverty and fostering long-term peace.