Addis Ababa: The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres underscored that Africa is a continent of hope despite contemporary challenges that face the continent.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Secretary General Guterres inaugurated African hall, a landmark of liberation and a symbol of Pan-African unity today.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Guterres said Africa is a continent of hope, but it faces challenges that are deeply rooted in history and are exacerbated by climate change, conflict and persistent poverty.
Emphasizing on the newly inaugurated iconic African Hall, Secretary-General stated that the Hall is where Africa came together to give life to the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU) times were very different.
‘In 961, when this whole was inaugurated by Emperor Haile Selassie, only 26 African nations had achieved independence, many of them just months before. Today, Africa is a transformed continent. And to my mind, this renewed building symbolized renewed
hope and unity for Africa,’ he revealed.
Guterres added that the Hall is a bridge between Africa’s past and future, honoring shared struggles and achievements while embracing common aspirations.
For him, the African Hall has been a symbol of the continent’s collective aspirations, a testament to its resilience and beacon of hope for entire generations for more than 60 years.
Noting that it is also a state of the art 21st century facility that preserves the grandeur and history of this great continent, he noted that it is an invitation for everyone to cooperate in pursuit of a better future for Africa and for the world.
However, Africa must also acknowledge the challenges, he stressed.
‘Africa is a continent of hope. But it faces challenges that are deeply rooted in history and are exacerbated by climate change, conflict and persistent poverty,’ the Secretary-General stated.
African women often bear the brand of its hardships, he indicated.
Thus, the UN chief underlined that addressing these issues requ
ires resolute action and renewed solidarity.
‘Our global institutions were built at a time when most of Africa was under colonial rule. But unlike this all, with its 21st century innovations, many of these global institutions are stuck in those times and unable to respond to the aspirations and rights of the African people. Africa still has no permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Let’s hope it will be corrected soon.’
Similarly, he indicated that the international financial institutions often cannot provide African countries with the response they need where it is protection from strangling depth or from climate catastrophe they did not cause.
‘We can only move forward if we also renew and update global institutions by making them more effective, fair and inclusive,’ he revealed.
Speaking on the global digital compact and the declaration on future generations that was adopted by world leaders, he recalled that the pact recognizes the need to reform the Security Council to make it
representative, transparent, efficient, democratic and accountable.
It also calls for groundbreaking reforms and international financial architecture, including massively scaling up of further development and climate finance.
He further elaborated that the global digital compact includes the first truly universal agreement on the governance of artificial intelligence, giving every country a seat at the table, while supporting partnerships to reach the digital divide and build a high capacity in developing countries and namely in Africa.
We must now move forward together in implementing these historic agreements without delay, and we must include young people at every step of the way, dear friends.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency
