Press Stakeout with United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, following the 6th AU-UN Annual Conference.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “the world is counting on Africa. But Africa could not count on the world. That must change. We need to repair trust, supercharge development, and place Africa’s future at the heart of the solutions our world needs.”
Speaking to reporters in Addis Ababa following the 6th AU-UN Annual Conference, Guterres said that Africa needs new partnerships for prosperity and development.
He reiterated that the SDGs are issuing an SOS. Developing countries — including here in Africa — need urgent support to strengthen the services and programmes people need.
Last month, the UN chief urged G20 leaders to adopt an SDG stimulus plan to provide developing countries with investments, liquidity and debt relief.
He said, “the tools and instruments are there. But we need to use them with much greater flexibility and speed.”
Guterres explained, “this means re-directing Special Drawing Rights to countries that need support now. It means increasing concessional forms of finance and reforming the international debt architecture. And it means ensuring that African countries are not unduly penalized by markets and rating institutions.”
Second, the UN chief said that Africa deserves and needs climate support.
The establishment of a Loss and Damage fund at the recent COP27 Conference marked a key step towards climate justice for those who have done the least to cause the crisis — namely Africa, Guterres said, adding that the UN also launched an action plan to extend early warning systems to protect every person in the world within five years — including the 6 in 10 Africans who lack these systems.
However, he said, “the promise to double adaptation finance to US$40 billion annually has not been met.”
Guterres continued, “Sub-Saharan Africa’s adaptation costs alone are estimated to run as high as US$50 billion annually over the next decade. Africa cannot foot this bill alone. Nor should it.”
He reiterated that efforts like the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme require massive funding and investment, adding that developed countries must keep their promise to provide US$ 100 billion annually for developing countries, and reform the business models of multilateral development banks and international financial institutions.
Guterres also reaffirmed to keep pushing for a Climate Solidarity Pact that mobilizes financial and technical support to accelerate emerging economies’ transition to renewable energy and keep the 1.5-degree goal alive.
Third — Africa deserves and needs peace, the UN chief said.
Guterres said, “one question that is particularly dear to my heart, and particularly important for the world: We need to make sure that we ensure robust African peace enforcement and counter-terrorist operations, mandated by the UN Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, and with stable and predictable funding through assessed contributions.”
He reiterated, “peace is never easy — but peace is always necessary.”
Guterres concluded that the United Nations will continue working with the AU to deliver the peace, prosperity and climate justice that the people of Africa deserve.
The Secretary-General was joined with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, at the press stakeout.
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