Activities of Secretary-General in Ethiopia, 12-15 February

On Thursday, 12 February, the Secretary-General landed in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, to take part in the thirty-ninth ordinary session of the African Union Summit.

On Friday morning, 13 February, as is customary, the Secretary-General started the day by meeting with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

Throughout the day, the Secretary-General had bilateral meetings with several African leaders. He met with the outgoing Chairperson of the African Union, the President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. The Secretary-General also met with the incoming Chairperson of the African Union, the President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye. The Secretary-General also had bilateral meetings with John Dramani Mahama, the President of Ghana; Ismaël Omar Guelleh, the President of Djibouti; and Kashim Shettima, the Vice-President of Nigeria.

Later in the day on Friday, the Secretary-General sat down for interviews with SABC, Al Jazeera and RFI's French and Portuguese services.

During Friday evening, Mr. Guterres took part in the second Italy-Africa summit. In his remarks, he said this summit sends a clear message that cooperation must be built on mutual respect and trust, and that partnerships must be about delivering on Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the African Union's Agenda 2063.

Following the summit, the Secretary-General was invited to attend a dinner hosted by Abiy Ahmed Ali, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.

On Saturday morning, 14 February, the Secretary-General spoke at the opening of the thirty-ninth African Union Summit. In remarks, he praised the UN's partnership with the African Union, saying it has grown stronger over the past decade.

Looking ahead, the Secretary-General added, we continue to have three major areas of focus in our work with the African Union: peace, economic action and climate action. He also renewed his call for reforms of the Security Council, saying the absence of a permanent seat for Africa is indefensible.

Later in the day, Mr. Guterres held a press conference and told reporters that Africa is navigating some of the world's hardest challenges and doing so with determination, creativity and resilience.

Turning to climate, he called on developed countries to triple adaptation finance, mobilize $1.3 trillion a year by 2035 and increase contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund.

With the right support, Mr. Guterres said Africa will become a renewables powerhouse, adding that Africa's critical minerals and resources will help create new industries and jobs, building value at home, not exporting value away. The plundering and exploitation of Africa's resources must end, he said.

Throughout the day, the Secretary-General continued to hold bilateral meetings with leaders attending the Summit. He met with Abiy Ahmed, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; José Maria Pereira Neves, President of Cabo Verde; Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, President of South Africa; Ousmane Sonko, the Prime Minister of Senegal; and Mohammad Mustafa, Prime Minister of the State of Palestine.

Early on Sunday morning, 15 February, the Secretary-General departed Addis Ababa.