The United Nations has agreed a new human rights agreement with the African Union aimed at reinforcing peace and security on a continent that has been "the double victim of injustice".
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat signed the deal in New York on Tuesday.
“What Africa needs above all is justice in international relations because Africa has been the victim of the structural injustices of our international relations," Guterres said – adding the continent had been made to endure a double injustice.
"First of all, the historic injustice linked to colonialism and to slavery. And second, the present injustice in relation to the way power relations are established in the world and namely in relation to financial and economic power," Guterres said at a news conference with Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Meanwhile, Faki brought the focus to peace and security, saying that Africa is going through a “difficult period” as it has become “a haven for terrorism and extremism,” affecting many regions and as some AU peacekeeping operations are drawing down.
Delighted to be in New York for the 7th AU/UN High-Level Conference with UNSG @antonioguterres, UNDSG @AminaJMohammed & our respective teams to evaluate our strategic partnership underpinned by our joint Agendas & framework agreements on Peace,Security,Development & Human Rights. pic.twitter.com/QaRjihCeBF
— Moussa Faki Mahamat (@AUC_MoussaFaki) November 28, 2023
Africa is also facing economic challenges brought on by what he called the “triple crisis” of the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and the consequences of the war in Ukraine, which has impacted food supply.
He stressed that financing for both development and peace is critical, together with reform of global financial institutions.
Cop28 an 'opportunity for Africa'
Both Guterres and Faki will attend the Cop28 climate conference that opens this week in Dubai which must also be seen as an opportunity to advocate for Africa “which is severely impacted by the effects of climate change even though it pollutes very little.”
The transition to green energy must be fair, he said, given that some 600 million people across the continent still do not have access to electricity.
“We also need to ensure that we are on the right track for development. And this will perhaps help us to mitigate the issue of migration which has become a particularly delicate issue for our neighbours in Europe,” he added.
Guterres underscored that Africa remains a key UN priority, highlighting the importance of working with the AU “based on the principle of African-led solutions for African problems”.
He said the continent has been “the double victim of injustice” linked to colonialism and slavery in the past and financial and economic power relations today.
Support for AU operations
Guterres also rallied support for peace enforcement and counterterrorism operations in Africa that are led by the AU and mandated by the UN Security Council, and the contributions necessary to finance those missions.
“They are the only way to be effective in fighting the kind of violence and terrorism that is now proliferating in many African countries,” he said.
The UN chief also emphasised the need to mobilise the international community to address the economic and social root causes of conflicts.
Both leaders were also asked if the call for the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from Sudan, and reports of atrocities in West Darfur, represented a failure of the international community.
Guterres described the situation in Sudan – where rival generals have been fighting since mid-April – as “the fault of those that sacrifice the interests of their people for a pure struggle for power, and of the ones that support them based on considerations that I would not like to comment [on] today.”
