UN Chief António Guterres Addresses African Union Summit on Exploitation and Global Finance

Call for African Resource Benefit

• 🌍 UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared, “No more exploitation. No more plundering.”
• 💡 He stressed that the people of Africa must benefit from the resources of Africa.

Peace and Security in Africa

• 🕊️ Guterres highlighted the need for an immediate ceasefire and respect for territorial integrity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• 🤝 He called for consolidated political and security gains in the Central African Republic and a Libyan-led political process in Libya.
• ⚠️ Coordinated efforts are essential across West Africa and the Sahel to end cycles of violence, terrorism, and displacement.
• 🇸🇴 He emphasized the vital need for sustained, predictable funding for the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia.

Multilateralism and UN Reform

• 🤝 The African Union is recognized as a flagship for multilateralism, with deep gratitude expressed for its unwavering support.
• 🏛️ Guterres stated that the absence of permanent African seats in the UN Security Council is indefensible, asserting that Africa must be at the table for decisions concerning it and the world.
• 📈 Cooperation has reached new heights, including joint frameworks on peace, security, development, human rights, and the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2719 for AU-led peace support operations.

Financial Architecture Reform

• 💰 African countries lose more each year in debt repayments and illicit financial flows than they receive in aid.
• 📈 African nations face borrowing rates up to eight times higher than advanced economies.
• 🏦 Guterres called to triple the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, mobilize private financing, reduce borrowing costs, and reform the international financial architecture for greater African voice and participation.

Climate Action and Clean Energy

• ⚡ Africa, with 60% of the world's solar potential, can become a clean energy powerhouse, yet receives only 2% of global clean energy investment.
• 🌡️ Adaptation must be a priority, requiring developed countries to triple adaptation finance and meet the 1.3 trillion US dollars a year for developing countries by 2035.
• ⛏️ African countries must benefit first and fully from their critical minerals through fair, sustainable value chains and manufacturing.

UN-Africa Partnership

• 🌟 Guterres assured that Africa will remain the UN's priority number one until the last moment of his mandate.
• 🤝 The partnership between the African Union and the UN is described as their deepest strategic partnership.