UN and African Union Sign Declaration to Strengthen Cooperation

UN Secretary-General António Guterres met with AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in Addis Ababa on 13 May 2026. The two focused on deepening cooperation across peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. They signed a declaration reaffirming the principles of the UN-AU joint frameworks that further institutionalizes cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union.

This was Guterres's final AU-UN summit as Secretary-General. "This is my final AU-UN Conference as Secretary-General," he told reporters in the Ethiopian capital afterwards. " He said the Pact for the Future, adopted in 2024, underscored the importance of regional organizations, particularly the AU, and called for reform of the Security Council.

"Africa's continued exclusion from permanent representation is indeed a historical injustice - and we cannot accept it," Guterres said. "This is not about privilege or symbolism. " Many African countries often pay up to three times the benchmark rate for borrowing.

"Today's global financial architecture is not providing adequate levels of support, nor sufficient voice and participation for Africa," Guterres said. The African Development Bank initiated the creation of a New African Financial Architecture for Development. "Africa assumes the leadership in solving African problems," Guterres said.

Africa contributes least to the climate crisis but is hit hardest by climate change. 5°C temperature limit is now inevitable but not irreversible. By 2040, Africa could generate 10 times more electricity than it needs entirely from renewables.

Yet 600 million Africans still lack electricity. Africa receives only two per cent of global clean energy investment. Guterres met separately with French President Emmanuel Macron and AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.

He warned that Africa is especially vulnerable to global economic effects of the Middle East crisis, particularly disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz. Guterres said an immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would still bring serious consequences including slower growth and higher inflation. Prolonged disruption of the Strait of Hormuz could raise the risk of a global recession.

The UN strongly supports the African Union's 'Silencing the Guns' initiative and the African Humanitarian Agency. UN and AU are cooperating on conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya and the Sahel. Guterres called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan.

He called for renewed dialogue in the Sahel to confront violent extremism and terrorism. AllAfrica reported these details from the meetings in Addis Ababa.