This petition concerns every one of us because it touches the heart of our humanity and the future of our world. It directly impacts the millions of people affected by rare diseases, often forgotten by research and condemned to lives of uncertainty and suffering. It involves families battling cancer, who too often have their loved ones prematurely taken from them. It concerns the hundreds of millions of individuals who struggle daily against hunger and extreme poverty, deprived of fundamental rights and the most basic opportunities.

 I understand your desire to take this petition to the UN and read your full speech there. That's an admirable goal, and your determination is a powerful force.

Esteemed Delegates,
I stand before you today with a message I hope resonates in the conscience of every nation represented here. We live in an era of extraordinary scientific and technological progress, an age that offers us the possibility of tackling global challenges with unprecedented tools. Yet, we continue to allocate immense resources to an activity that, in its essence, represents a defeat for humanity: war.

Every year, the world spends a staggering sum, exceeding $2.500 billion, on military expenditures. Imagine for a moment the potential of this amount, its capacity to transform our reality. Think of how many lives could be saved, how much suffering alleviated, how much knowledge acquired if only we redirected these resources towards a common goal, an enemy that afflicts us all indiscriminately: disease, hunger, and poverty.

Rare diseases, often overlooked by research and attention, affect millions of people worldwide, condemning them to lives of uncertainty and often severe disability. Cancers, with their inexorable spread, continue to prematurely snatch our loved ones, leaving behind an unfillable void. Research in these fields is our greatest hope, the key to unraveling the mechanisms of these pathologies, developing effective therapies, and, one day, defeating them.

But alongside these health challenges, we face equally devastating scourges afflicting our human family: global hunger and extreme poverty. Every day, millions of people struggle for survival, deprived of the fundamental right to food and dignified living conditions. Hunger is not just a lack of food; it's a spiral of suffering that undermines health, hinders education, perpetuates inequality, and generates social instability. Extreme poverty deprives entire communities of the most basic opportunities, condemning generations to a cycle of deprivation.

I propose to you today a vision that is bold yet profoundly human: let us stop investing in destruction and instead invest in life, dignity, and the future. Let us commit to redirecting the $2.500 billion currently allocated to military spending towards a global fund dedicated to research on rare diseases, cancers, and to sustainable development and humanitarian aid programs to eradicate hunger and drastically reduce poverty.

What could we achieve with an investment of such magnitude?

- Accelerate the discovery of new therapies: Researchers would have the necessary resources to conduct broader and more in-depth studies, reducing the time needed to bring new cures to patients.
- Incentivize international collaboration: A global fund would promote the sharing of data, knowledge, and expertise among scientists worldwide, transcending national borders in the fight against disease.
- Give hope to millions of people: Patients suffering from rare diseases and cancers, and their families, would see the possibility of a longer life with better quality become a reality.
- Stimulate scientific and technological innovation: Medical research is a driver of progress that brings countless benefits to all of society.
- Ensure food security: We would implement agricultural systems resilient to climate change, support small farmers, and create efficient distribution networks to feed the populations suffering from hunger today.
- Promote economic development: We would offer dignified work opportunities, support local entrepreneurship, and provide the necessary tools to break the cycle of poverty.
- Improve living conditions: We would invest in basic infrastructure such as access to clean water, sanitation services, and energy, creating healthier and more resilient communities.
- Guarantee access to education: We would offer children and adults the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to build a better future for themselves and their communities.

This is not a utopian dream, but a pragmatic and morally imperative choice. Instead of competing for military supremacy, we can compete for supremacy in care, in the understanding of life, and in building a more equitable world. Instead of building weapons, we can build bridges of knowledge, solidarity, and hope.

The world is watching us. History will judge us. Let us choose today to be remembered not for our capacity to destroy, but for our humanity, for our determination to defeat suffering, hunger, and poverty, and to build a future where health and dignity are a fundamental right for all.

I urge you, with all my heart, to consider this proposal in its entirety. Let us embrace a new paradigm of global security, a security founded on health, well-being, dignity, and hope. Together, we can transform this vision into reality.

Thank you.