UN Chief & Chairperson of the of the African Union Commission - Media Stakeout (6 May 2019)

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat convened the Third African Union-United Nations Annual Conference, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday (6 May). It aims to build on the close partnership between the two organizations, and address, among other issues, climate change and the African Union Theme of the Year 2019: “The Year of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons: towards durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa”
Following the meeting, the Secretary-General Guterres told the press that “the partnership between the African Union and the UN is an absolutely central, strategic partnership for the United Nations” and that the work of the United Nations can only succeed in the world, if it succeeds in Africa. And we believe that our work can only succeed in Africa if we work hand in hand together with the African Union.”
Guterres underlined the climate change and the development in Africa as two key priorities for the continent. On combating the climate change he said “it is absolutely essential for states, for the business community, for cities, for all to assume the engagement to reduce emissions by 45 percent to 2030 and to come to a net zero emissions in 2050. Without that, the African continent will inevitably have dramatic impacts that would undermine its development and undermine its security and the whole world would suffer.”
On the development, he urged “the whole international community to substantially increase the financing for development available for African countries.”
The Secretary-General said, “development in Africa is a fundamental precondition for more equilibrium, more peace in the world for phenomenon like migration to be more easily handled.”
For his part, Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said the climate change also affects the security situation on the continent.