The Secretary-General of the United Nations reaffirms cooperation with the African Union to jointly address challenges.

United Nations Secretary-General Guterres reiterated on the 14th that the United Nations will continue to cooperate with the African Union to jointly address the challenges facing Africa. The 39th African Union Summit opened that day at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Guterres said at a press conference that progress is being made in Africa, from promoting regional integration to increasing investment in clean energy and infrastructure. He stated, "This is not a miracle, but progress achieved through stable and practical efforts to solve real problems in a unpredictable and turbulent international environment." Guterres stated that many parts of Africa, including Sudan, the Congo, the Sahel, and the Horn of Africa, are facing profound and complex crises involving multiple parties, interests, and factors. He emphasized that African leaders and institutions are dedicated to promoting peace and security efforts, and the international community should increase support for these endeavors. Guterres pointed out that despite having some of the world's fastest-growing economies, Africa faces heavy debt burdens, high borrowing costs, and limited financing channels, which hinder education, healthcare, and employment development. Furthermore, despite emitting less carbon, Africa suffers from the costs of droughts, floods, famines, and high temperatures, and Africa's support for adapting to climate change and transitioning to clean energy is far from sufficient.