UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reaffirmed resolute solidarity with Africa, signalling the United Nations’ firm commitment to fortify collaboration with the African Union (AU) during a joint press conference with Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Addressing historic injustices, Guterres stressed Africa’s dual victimisation due to the legacies of colonialism, slavery, and prevailing global power imbalances. The high-level discussions, part of the 7th AU/UN High-Level Conference, focused on evaluating the progress of existing cooperation frameworks between the two entities.
Guterres emphasised the crucial nature of the partnership between the African Union and the UN, asserting Africa’s significance as a primary priority for the United Nations’ agenda. He highlighted the imperative need for justice in international relations to rectify the structural injustices faced by Africa in the global arena.
The UN Secretary-General underscored their unwavering commitment to collaborating across various spheres of common interest with the African Union. Concurrently, a new joint framework agreement on human rights was signed, further solidifying their collaborative efforts.
Moussa Faki Mahamat echoed concerns abou
t Africa’s ongoing peace and security challenges, lamenting the co
ntine
nt’s susceptibility to terrorism and extremism across multiple regions. The Chairperson also highlighted the economic adversities exacerbated by
the Covid-19 crisis, climate challenges, and the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Mahamat highlighted the global repercussions of the Ukraine situation on Africa, especially in terms of energy, food, and fertiliser price hikes affecting African agriculture productivity. He praised the efforts of Guterres and Turkey in brokering a grain deal to address the global food crisis, emphasising Turkey’s readiness to aid impoverished African nations.
