UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders on Wednesday to prioritize Africa and promote peace, security and sustainable development on the continent.
The statement follows the Ninth African Union-UN Annual Conference, where the UN and the African Union (AU) discussed the need to implement further cooperation frameworks, as well as to boost joint action to address the challenges facing the African continent, including the spread of armed conflicts and climate change.
Speaking at a press briefing, Guterres said:
Our world is in turmoil, rocked by deadly conflicts, widening inequalities, climate chaos, and runaway technologies. The impacts are felt deeply on the African continent. … The world must not turn its back on Africa, home to nearly one-fifth of humanity. The stakes are too high. And the potential is too great.
The UN chief also emphasized that international efforts to advance Africa’s development should focus on three key priorities: peace and security, climate justice, and the inclusion of African countries in decision-making. He highlighted the prevalence of armed conflicts across numerous African countries and voiced grave concern over the alarming situation in Sudan, particularly the reported mass atrocities and human rights violations in El Fasher. He stressed that sustainable development is unattainable without resolving these ongoing conflicts.
For this purpose, Guterres expressed his support for the Pact for the Future, which was adopted in 2024 to address various global issues related to peace, climate action, sustainable development, and digital cooperation, with a focus on Africa and better global governance. The pact also calls for reform of the UN Security Council to offer permanent membership to Africa.
The UN chief further stated that promoting the development and climate action across Africa requires urgent reforms in the architecture of the global financial system, which he described as “outdated” and unadapted to the needs of African countries. This echoes the UN’s previous calls to conduct reforms to rebuild a fairer global financial system that serves the interests of Global South countries.
Alongside Guterres, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, expressed commitment to the AU’s partnership with the UN, highlighting the willingness to further enhance cooperation in peace operations, the digital transformation agenda, and climate action.
There are growing international calls for a stable Africa that fosters global economic resilience, given the continent’s significant role in global supply chains and natural resources. However, the continent’s continuing struggle with armed conflicts and political instability has been impeding development.
Africa ranks second in the number of armed conflicts per region, with more than 35 internal armed conflicts taking place in various countries, including Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Niger and Nigeria. It is also the most vulnerable continent to climate change, despite its low contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. While Africa’s abundant mineral resources contribute to economic growth, they also present environmental challenges and contribute to mass displacements caused by unsustainable extraction.
