World Happiness Foundation Response to “A Call for Peace: The End of Wars and Respect for International Law”

By Luis Miguel Gallardo – Founder & President of the World Happiness Foundation

Introduction and Context

The World Happiness Foundation warmly commends the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the Secretary General of Religions for Peace, and the President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network for its 2024 joint Statement “A Call for Peace: The End of Wars and Respect for International Law.” This global call – launched amid widespread conflict and “a growing culture of militarization” – underlines that humanity must shift toward peace through dialogue, justice, and the rule of law. It recognizes that today’s wars across all continents are “solvable through dialogue” and collective security, and that poverty and oppression fuel conflict. The World Happiness Foundation fully endorses these principles and views peace as inseparable from human happiness and well-being. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (notably SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), we believe that a peaceful world is the foundation for societal happiness, sustainable development, and human flourishing.

Building on SDSN, UNAOC, and Religions for Peace, UNAOC, and Religions for Peace’s Ten Principles for Peace, the World Happiness Foundation offers an expanded set of formal recommendations to address urgent gaps and strengthen the global commitment to peace. These recommendations emphasize: (1) the urgent necessity of complete global disarmament and demilitarization beyond just nuclear weapons; (2) a universal renunciation of violence as a means of conflict resolution, replaced by dialogue and restorative justice; (3) the democratic renovation of the United Nations to represent all of humanity and even the “more-than-human” world of nature; (4) the integration of Peace and Happiness curricula globally to cultivate inner peace, compassion, and empathy; and (5) key gaps in the SDSN, UNAOC, and Religions for Peace statement that must be addressed to realize a truly peaceful world in 2025. These policy recommendations are presented in a structured, diplomatic format, consistent with international development discourse and the spirit of the United Nations Charter.

1. Complete Global Disarmament and Demilitarization

Urgent action for comprehensive disarmament is imperative. The SDSN, UNAOC, and Religions for Peace statement rightly calls for supporting the prohibition of nuclear weapons and channeling cuts in military spending toward sustainable development. The World Happiness Foundation strongly reinforces this by urging “general and complete disarmament” – the elimina

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