UN Secretary-General Addresses African Union Summit, Calls for Reform and Climate Justice

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on February 15, 2026, emphasizing the African Union’s role as a “flagship for multilateralism” and outlining priorities for deepened cooperation between the UN and the AU.

Strengthening the UN-AU Partnership

Guterres praised Africa’s leadership in the pursuit of “justice and equality,” noting the strength of the UN-AU partnership, built on “respect, constant dialogue and unwavering solidarity.” He highlighted that cooperation between the two organizations has reached “fresh heights” over the past decade, particularly in the areas of peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.

Priorities for Cooperation: Peace, Economic Action, and Climate Justice

The Secretary-General outlined three key priorities for future collaboration: peace and security, economic action, and climate justice.

Peace and Security

Guterres called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan, renewed dialogue in South Sudan, and respect for the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He stressed the need for African-led political solutions to conflicts across the Sahel, Libya, and the Horn of Africa, supported by sustained international assistance.

Economic Action

Guterres warned of a $4 trillion annual financing gap for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries, and highlighted that Africa loses more to debt servicing and illicit financial flows than it receives in aid. He described the current economic and financial system as “totally unjust” for Africa, advocating for a tripling of the lending capacity of multilateral development banks and greater participation for developing countries in international financial institutions.

He emphasized the need for African countries to directly benefit from their natural resources, stating, “No more exploitation. No more plundering. The people of Africa must benefit from the resources of Africa.” He urged that African nations benefit “first and fully from their critical minerals through fair, sustainable value chains and manufacturing,” aligning with UN recommendations.

Climate Justice

Acknowledging that “Africa did not cause the climate crisis,” Guterres warned that the continent faces faster-than-average warming, droughts, floods, and deadly heat – a situation he termed “climate injustice.” He called on developed countries to triple adaptation finance, mobilize $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries by 2035, and scale up the Loss and Damage Fund.

Call for Global Institutional Reform

Guterres underscored the urgent need for reform within global institutions, specifically addressing the lack of permanent African representation on the UN Security Council. He stated that the absence of African seats is “indefensible” in 2026, asserting that “Whenever decisions about Africa and the world are on the table, Africa must be at the table.”

The 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union concluded on February 15, 2026, with the assumption of office by Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi, as Chairperson of the African Union for 2026. The summit’s theme for 2026 is “Ensuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063.”