Guterres Urges UN Reform at AU Summit

UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the media at the 39th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Calling for sweeping reforms of global institutions, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told African leaders on Saturday that the absence of permanent African seats on the Security Council is “indefensible,” declaring: “This is 2026 – not 1946.”

Addressing the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, he said that in a world marked by division and mistrust, the African Union (AU) stands as a “flagship for multilateralism.”

Mr Guterres praised Africa’s global leadership in “the struggle for justice and equality,” noting that the UN-AU partnership is stronger than ever, built on “respect, constant dialogue and unwavering solidarity.”

Cooperation has reached “new heights” over the past decade, he added, pointing to joint frameworks on peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.

Peace in Africa

The Secretary-General outlined three priorities for deeper cooperation: peace, economic action, and climate justice.

On peace, he 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. Across the Sahel, Libya, and the Horn of Africa, he stressed the need for African-led political solutions backed by sustained international support.

Economic action

Mr Guterres warned that developing countries face a $4 trillion annual Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) financing gap, while Africa loses more to debt servicing and illicit financial flows than it receives in aid.

At a press conference following the summit, he said it is “simply unconscionable” that Africa must contend with “an economic and financial system that remains totally unjust.”

He called for tripling the lending capacity of multilateral development banks and ensuring developing countries have “a real voice and meaningful participation” in international financial institutions.

No more plundering

He stressed that African countries must benefit directly from their natural wealth: “No more exploitation. No more plundering. The people of Africa must benefit from the resources of Africa.”

He urged that African countries benefit “first and fully from their critical minerals through fair, sustainable value chains and manufacturing,” in line with UN recommendations.

Climate justice

On climate, Mr Guterres warned that “the science is unequivocal: the planet will overshoot the 1.5-degree Celsius limit.” The 1.5°C threshold, enshrined in the Paris Agreement, is considered critical to avoiding the most catastrophic and irreversible climate impacts.

“Africa did not cause the climate crisis,” he said, yet it faces faster-than-average warming, droughts, floods, and deadly heat — “climate injustice, plain and simple.”

He called on developed countries to triple adaptation finance, mobilise $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries by 2035, and scale up the Loss and Damage Fund.

Reforms now

Mr Guterres underscored the urgent need to reform global institutions.

The absence of permanent African seats on the Council is “indefensible; this is 2026 – not 1946,” he said, adding: “Whenever decisions about Africa and the world are on the table, Africa must be at the table.”