United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has delivered a powerful call for global reform, demanding that Africa be granted a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Speaking at the 7th African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) Summit, Guterres characterized the continent's current exclusion from a permanent seat as a "deep historical injustice" that must be reversed.

Guterres stressed the immense collective influence of the two continents, noting that African and European nations together represent approximately 40% of the UN's membership, positioning them to be a "central pillar of the new world order."

Beyond the Security Council, the Secretary-General focused on a failing global economy, criticizing the current international financial structure as neither fair nor effective. He proposed concrete reforms, including a debt moratorium for Africa, a threefold increase in lending capacity for the continent, and greater representation and influence for African nations within global financial institutions.

Guterres also urged strategic collaboration on key global issues, specifically climate action and peace efforts. He pushed for Africa—rich in clean energy and critical minerals—to be empowered to transform these resources into high-value-added products domestically, rather than simply exporting raw materials.

Concluding his address, the Secretary-General described ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza as a "great failure of humanity," underscoring his belief that the AU-EU relationship holds the "genuine power" to stabilize the world and usher in an era of justice and equality.