\u201cThe partnership between the United Nations and the African Union has never been stronger,\u201d said the UN chief, striking a positive tone from the outset. \u201cTogether, we see an Africa brimming with hope and possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Secretary-General noted the \u201cbooming, enterprising\u201d young population of the continent and the wealth of renewable resources it offers, and expressed high hopes for the future of the\u00a0African Continental Free Trade Area, which aims to reduce trade barriers between African countries.<\/p>\n
Mr. Guterres was speaking on the first day of the annual meeting of the regional organization, held at African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, amid conflict and tensions in several AU member states, notably Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<\/p>\n
Time for reparations and reform<\/h2>\n
In a reference to the theme of this year\u2019s summit \u2013\u00a0Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations \u2013 Mr. Guterres acknowledged that decolonization and independence, a major preoccupation of the UN\u2019s work during its early years, had not solved the underlying challenges faced by Africans, many of which are a legacy of colonialism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, two \u201ccolossal and compounded injustices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many of the UN\u2019s member states were still colonies when multilateral systems were created in the mid-Twentieth Century, and the Secretary-General pointed the finger at the need for reform of his own organization, describing the lack of permanent African representation on today\u2019s Security Council as inexcusable. \u201cI will keep working with the African Union and all Member States to ensure the representation Africa needs and the justice you deserve \u2013 including with two permanent members of the Security Council,\u201d he promised.<\/p>\n
Mr. Guterres went on to reiterate calls he has made on several occasions for reform of the international financial architecture, which is hampering the development of many African economies, beset by expensive debt repayments and high borrowing costs, which limits their capacity to invest in education, health and other essential needs.<\/p>\n
\u2018Sudan is being torn apart before our eyes\u2019<\/h2>\n
The UN chief outlined peace and security as a priority area for multilateral action, drawing particular attention to Sudan, the largest displacement and famine crisis in the world, and a country \u201cbeing torn apart before our eyes.\u201d Here, the strong links between the African Union and the UN can provide an \u201canchor\u201d for a coalition to end the war, he proposed.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 Al-Saudi Maternity Hospital<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Many departments of the hospital are closed following the bombardments. .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
As he spoke, international broadcasters carried news of the latest military gains made by the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The group has reportedly entered Bukavu, DRC\u2019s second city, facing little resistance from the Congolese army.<\/p>\n
The offensive threatens to \u201cpush the entire region over the precipice,\u201d warned Mr. Guterres, adding that there is\u00a0no military solution to the country\u2019s conflict, and that it can only be solved by dialogue. Meanwhile, he declared, MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping force in DRC, will continue to provide support.<\/p>\n
Drive progress towards development and a \u2018renewables revolution\u2019<\/h2>\n
Mr. Guterres then turned to development, proposing that progress can be driven by gender equality, clean energy, food systems transformation, and digitalization. The Pact for the Future, a landmark international agreement adopted by the nations of the world in 2024, outlines support for reforming the international financial architecture, which currently sees African countries pay up to eight times more to borrow than developed countries, and commits wealthier nations to advancing a development stimulus package of $500\u00a0billion a year.<\/p>\n
The climate crisis was characterized as both the cause of numerous disasters and an opportunity for the continent to play a leading role in the transition to a clean, low carbon global economy.<\/p>\n
![\"UN](\"https:\/\/global.unitednations.entermediadb.net\/assets\/mediadb\/services\/module\/asset\/downloads\/preset\/Libraries\/Production%20Library\/15-02-2025_UN_SG_Guterres_AUSummit38.jpg\/image1024x768.jpg\" "\\"UN")
\n<\/div>\nUN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres delivers remarks at the 2025 African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Africa currently receives just two per cent of global renewables investment, but financial reforms could help the continent to become a \u201cglobal clean energy powerhouse,\u201d and help to redress an unjust situation, in which Africa suffers disproportionately from man-made changes to the environment caused by the actions of the developed world.<\/p>\n
Bridging the “Digital Divide” by supporting Africa\u2019s capacity to benefit from new technology, notably artificial intelligence, was also flagged by the Secretary-General as a key area of concern.\u00a0Almost two-thirds of all Africans have no reliable internet access, and by 2035 more young Africans will enter the job market annually than the rest of the world combined.\u00a0 \u201cThey need the skills to thrive,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n