{"id":15214,"date":"2025-11-13T17:17:27","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T15:17:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jhb-webdevelopers\/channelafrica\/news\/un-secretary-general-urges-global-action-to-prioritise-africa\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T16:27:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T14:27:31","slug":"un-secretary-general-urges-global-action-to-prioritise-africa","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/un-secretary-general-urges-global-action-to-prioritise-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"UN Secretary-General urges global action to prioritise Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Guterres warned that the world cannot turn its back on the continent. His remarks came on Wednesday following the ninth high-level conference between the UN and the African Union (AU) in New York.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The talks focused on strengthening cooperation across peace, security, development, human rights, and climate action. Guterres stressed that Africa is disproportionately affected by global crises.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cOur world is in turmoil, rocked by deadly conflicts, widening inequalities, climate chaos and runaway technologies. The impacts are felt deeply on the African continent,\u201d the Secretary-General said at a press briefing alongside AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The two leaders highlighted collaboration on flagship initiatives, including the AU\u2019s Silence the Guns programme, climate justice, energy transition, and Security Council reform.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Guterres outlined three priority areas requiring decisive action:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Prioritising Africa \u2013 He called for permanent African representation on the UN Security Council, describing the current imbalance as \u201can intolerable injustice.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Reforming the global financial system \u2013 Despite Africa\u2019s vast resources, progress is constrained by an outdated financial architecture. Guterres urged reforms to ease debt burdens, lower borrowing costs, and better serve developing countries. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">African leadership helped secure the Sevilla Commitment, which <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">lays out<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> steps <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">for<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> such reforms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Investing in peace \u2013 The Secretary-General reaffirmed support for the Silence the Guns initiative and stressed the urgency of reducing conflict across the continent.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Guterres expressed grave concern over ongoing violence, citing reports of atrocities in Sudan, rising insecurity in the Sahel, and conflicts in Mali, South Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThe world must not turn its back on Africa, home to nearly one-fifth of humanity. The stakes are too high. And the potential is too great,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Secretary-General <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">is expected<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to press for these priorities at the G20 summit in Johannesburg later this month, urging industrialised nations to lead on overdue financial reforms and investments in African development and peace initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211;UN\/ChannelAfrica&#8211;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":15215,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-15214","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres has called for urgent global action to prioritise Africa. ","published_date":null,"news_description":"The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres has called for urgent global action to prioritise Africa. 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