Global Solidarity, Renewed Investment, Level Financial Playing Field Key to Unlocking Africa’s Vast Potential, Speakers Tell General Assembly

With the world’s youngest population, abundant natural resources and infinite opportunities for growth, unlocking Africa’s potential requires global solidarity, renewed investments and a level financial playing field, the General Assembly heard today, as it met to discuss the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

Taking up its annual discussion of the framework first agreed by the United Nations in 2001, the 193-member Assembly considered both opportunities and challenges facing the African continent. Many speakers hailed its vast economic potential, while spotlighting conflicts, weak governance, high debt ratios and the worsening impacts of climate change as challenges that must be overcome with stronger support from the international community.

The representative of Guinea-Bissau, speaking on behalf of the African Group, said Africa "must capture greater value from its own natural resources", which can be achieved by lowering investment risks, improving infrastructure, harmonizing regulations and improving financing for energy and food assistance. Calling for scaled-up digital public infrastructure to promote open Government and broaden access to services, he added: "There can be no sustainable development without peace, and no durable peace without development."

Emphasizing that both require resilient and capable institutions — which in turn require stronger international support for the African Union’s peace and security architecture, early warning system and its Development Agency — he declared: "Achieving sustainable development in Africa is not only a regional necessity, but a global responsibility."

Agreeing with those points, Namibia’s representative stressed: "We are a continent of immense promise", but "the scars of our history continue to shape the socioeconomic landscape". He pointed to the unresolved legacy of colonialism, foreign interference, the exploitation of natural resources, tax evasion and the overreach of multinational corporations. The resulting underdevelopment and inequity have led to frustration and radicalization. "We must not treat the symptoms of conflict while neglecting its roots," he said, also joining other speakers in spotlighting the serious impacts of climate change — such as mass human displacement and conflicts driven by increasing competition for natural resources — that are already affecting countries across Africa.

More African Seats in Security Council

Echoing the explicit call for a reformed Security Council that is more reflective of today’s world were the representatives of Germany and Portugal, among others. The latter voiced his country’s support for the Common African Position as laid out in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, which call for two permanent and five non-permanent African seats on the 15-member organ. He also outlined Portugal’s own investments in African projects that are inclusive, work with local communities and reject the logic of foreign exploitation of local natural resources.

Several speakers, including the representatives of Spain and Maldives, emphasized the need to level the global playing field by reforming its financial architecture, which Angola’s delegate described as "[penalizing] developing countries". Thailand’s representative echoed that call, while also urging Member States to stand in solidity with African nations on financing and developed countries to honour their official development assistance (ODA) commitments. "The world needs Africa in moving forward," he stressed.

Calls to Rectify ‘Extremely Low’ Foreign Direct Investment in Africa

The representative of Ethiopia — noting that Africa’s share of global foreign direct investment remains "extremely low" — said the continent’s economic transformation requires increased strategic investment in sectors, such as manufacturing, agriculture, energy and digital technology. For its part, just this week, Ethiopia has taken a historic step towards rolling out the African Continental Free Trade Area programme. On the national level, Ethiopia’s home-grown economic reform programme is anchored in sound economic governance, digitalized tax administration and integrated national-financing frameworks, he said.

"Zimbabwe is open for business," said that country’s representative, who also outlined a range of initiatives aimed at boosting investment and economic growth. Among other programmes, she cited the guaranteed repatriation of profits, as well as a new online tax collection and revenue management system, developed with the support of the African Development Bank. However, she cautioned: "While we are doing our part, national efforts alone will not suffice." More capacity-building, technology transfer, fairer international tax arrangements and the increased use of blended finance are also needed.

Several speakers, including the representative of Algeria, focused on the challenges posed to African nations by institutional frailty. Such fragility does not only encompass governance or resources, "it concerns the ability of public institutions to meet citizens’ expectations, deliver justice, ensure security and provide basic services". And when these core functions weaken, a vicious cycle emerges wherein mistrust erodes social cohesion, undermines governance and fuels political instability.

Among those speakers highlighting their own bilateral or regional cooperation with African nations were the representatives of Romania, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan and the European Union, who spoke in the bloc’s observer capacity. Reaffirming Europe’s enduring partnership and its role as Africa’s leading trading partner, largest investor and main peace and security ally, the latter highlighted the urgent need to bridge financing gaps for the Sustainable Development Goals. In that regard, the Global Gateway and its European Union-Africa flagship projects will mobilize 150ドル billion by 2030 to foster partnerships with private institutional investors, he said, noting that 545ドル million is being mobilized to expand "Team Europe’s" clean energy efforts in Africa.

Lingering Impact of Colonial Past

Meanwhile, other speakers emphasized the lingering impact of Africa’s colonial past as a major factor in the challenges it still faces today. Describing the continent as a "pillar of multilateralism", the representative of Venezuela, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations, welcomed the African Union’s 2025 theme: "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations". Describing calls for reparatory justice as not only legitimate, but urgent, he said justice must include restitution of cultural property, the recovery of illicit financial flows and meaningful compensation for historical injustices, such as slavery. He also called for an end to unilateral coercive measures and external interference which continue to undermine the continent’s peace and development, declaring: "Peace in Africa cannot be imposed from outside."

"There is a need to continue to reanimate the discussion on anti-colonialism at the United Nations," agreed the representative of the Russian Federation. Welcoming the joint African Union-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) initiative to create an African reparations fund and expert group on compensation mechanisms, he urged the Secretary-General to create a programme to promote awareness of colonialism’s legacy and called on all Member States to co-sponsor the draft resolution on an International Day against Colonialism.

The representative of Morocco took the floor in exercise of the right of reply.

Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here .