In Addis Ababa, Guterres urges reforms to give Africa stronger global voice

UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a call for urgent reforms during the 10th African Union-United Nations Conference in Addis Ababa, emphasizing the need to address Africa’s underrepresentation in global institutions. Meeting with AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Guterres stated this would likely be his final AU-UN summit as Secretary-General but reaffirmed the partnership’s strength through a joint declaration. He criticized the exclusion of African nations from permanent Security Council seats, framing it as a ‘historical injustice’ that undermines legitimacy and effectiveness. Guterres highlighted systemic financial inequalities, noting African countries face borrowing costs up to three times higher than global benchmarks, diverting funds from critical sectors like health and education. He praised African-led initiatives, including the African Development Bank’s push for a New African Financial Architecture, while urging global support for affordable capital access. The UN chief also warned climate change disproportionately affects Africa, despite its minimal contribution to emissions, calling for stronger adaptation finance and renewable energy investment. By 2040, Africa could generate 10 times its current electricity needs from renewables, Guterres said, but only receives 2% of global clean energy funding due to barriers like weak grids and high costs. He stressed the continent’s potential to lead solutions to its own challenges, from climate adaptation to energy transitions. Separately, Guterres met with French President Emmanuel Macron and the AU Chair to discuss regional stability, though details of the Middle East fallout discussion were not specified in the report.