? Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Photo/Loey Felipe
African Union Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Yusuf and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres outlined a joint agenda focused on reforming international institutions, securing sustainable peace across the continent, and ensuring climate finance reaches Africa. Both leaders met during the annual AU-Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conference and urged greater African representation in global decision-making while warning that ignoring conflicts in Africa endangers global stability.
At the close of the 9th Annual African Union¨CUnited Nations Conference in New York, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Yusuf and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres recommitted to a joint agenda centered on reforming global institutions, advancing peace, and securing climate justice for Africa.
Both leaders said cooperation between the AU and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ has never been more necessary, given overlapping crises on the continent and across the world.
¡°The African Union and the United Nations have aligned their development agendas¡ªAgenda 2063 and Agenda 2030¡ªand are working closely on peace and development,¡± said Yusuf. ¡°Our partnership has never been stronger or more necessary,¡± Guterres emphasized.
The two leaders agreed that the multilateral system must evolve to reflect today¡¯s realities and Guterres described Africa as ¡°a double victim of colonialism,¡± excluded both from the past global order and from the creation of institutions that still dominate international decision-making. He pointed out that reform of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Security Council, long sought by the African continent, is essential to ¡°correct this historic injustice¡± by adding permanent African seats and giving developing countries greater representation in global financial institutions.
Peace and security
Peace and security remained a top concern, particularly the AU campaign of ¡°Silencing the Guns by 2030.¡± Yusuf admitted that the target may be ambitious but said progress is underway through the AU¡¯s Peace and Security and Governance Architectures, which are being integrated to address conflicts more effectively.
¡°2030 might not be a realistic date to end violence,¡± he said, ¡°but we must address the structural causes of conflict¡ªpoverty, weak governance, and inequality.¡± He stressed that AU peace operations must have predictable funding under Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Security Council Resolution 2719. Guterres voiced support, warning that instability in Africa threatens global peace.
¡°The international community must support Africa in its fight to eliminate terrorism and the threats it poses worldwide.¡±
Financial reform and fair access to capital
Both leaders highlighted the need to reform the global financial architecture. Guterres said Africa¡¯s development is constrained by a system designed for another era.
¡°It must become more inclusive, representative, and effective,¡± he said, calling for expanded lending, lower borrowing costs, and faster debt restructuring.
In the meantime, African countries are already mobilizing domestic resources to reduce dependence on foreign aid, Yusuf emphasized.
¡°Africa has decided to take its destiny in its own hands,¡± he said. ¡°We are changing the narrative¡ªmobilizing our own resources and defining our priorities.¡±
Climate justice and energy transition
Climate justice featured at the meeting. Guterres called it a moral imperative for wealthy nations to finance adaptation and clean energy in Africa. He urged developed nations to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion annually and mobilize $1.3 trillion a year by 2025 for developing countries. Yusuf linked the issue directly to peace and stability.
¡°Africa¡¯s future depends on a just energy transition¡ªone that supports growth, stability, and resilience,¡± he said.
This article was originally published in magazine and written by Franck Kuwonu.