However, he warned that this shift does not automatically deliver stability.
“Multipolarity alone is no guarantee of peace,” he told leaders at an African Union–European Union summit, cautioning that without strong co-operation it could fuel rivalry instead of balance.
Guterres said Africa and Europe could form a “central axis” of a fairer global order, helping to correct “historic injustices” and giving nations long excluded from global decision-making a meaningful voice.
He outlined three key areas where a deeper partnership could drive global change.
Guterres said current financial rules are “unfair and ineffective”, leaving many African countries trapped in unsustainable debt and unable to invest in development.
He called for ending crippling debt, tripling the lending power of multilateral development banks and increasing the influence of developing nations over global financial decisions.
“Together, you can end the injustice of poverty,” he told African and European leaders, adding that cooperation could also help address the pressures driving irregular migration and displacement.
Guterres highlighted Africa’s vast solar and wind resources and its abundance of minerals essential for clean-energy technologies. With demand for these minerals expected to triple by 2030, he said Africa has an opportunity to build local processing and manufacturing industries instead of exporting raw materials.
“Africa has the resources and a young workforce. Europe has the capital and know-how,” he said, arguing that a genuine clean-energy partnership could deliver shared, long-term growth.
Guterres pointed to the Pact for the Future as a roadmap for reshaping peace and security mechanisms. A key proposal is granting permanent African seats on the UN Security Council, a move he said would correct “a deep historic injustice” and strengthen the Council’s ability to respond effectively to crises.
Guterres warned that global power dynamics are in flux and that the risk of fragmentation is real. He said the world needs an interconnected form of multipolarity, underpinned by fair financial systems, accelerated climate action and inclusive peace and security structures.
He stressed that Africa and Europe have the capacity to drive these reforms together, helping turn global turbulence into “a new era of hope”.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
