The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, who is in Addis Ababa for the joint African Union (AU) – UN joint annual meeting, appeals the international community to help Africa fight illicit financial flows, money laundering and tax evasion.
I appeal to the international community to do everything in order to make sure that illegal financial flows, money laundering and tax evasion do not allow $50 billion dollars to leave the African continent every year. This is the responsibility for the international community to support Africa to make sure African resource remains in Africa to support African development,” the Secretary General said, at the closing press conference held this afternoon at AU headquarters.
Commenting on the development agenda of Africa, “We are totally aligned in implementation of our economic agendas – UN Agenda Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and African Union Agenda 2063. They are now the same agenda. I strongly appeal to the international community that these Agendas are fully financed,” Guterres said. He also congratulated the African Union for ‘its very important initiatives’ on in fighting corruption.
Peace and security
He also stated that the recent visit of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s visit of Eritrea over the weekend is ‘an amazing success’ and applauded the recent decision of IGAD on South Sudan and the summit in Khartoum. “We feel the wind is blowing in the direction of peace. The visit of Prime Minister of Ethiopia to Eritrea is amazing success…All these gives us hope that the African continent is moving more and more in the right direction in terms of peace and security,” he said.
The first annual joint conference was held at UN Headquarters on April 17, 2017 and witnessed the signing of the Joint UN-AU Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security. The Second Annual AU-UN conference covered a wide range of topics on peace and security and development in Africa. This is part of on-going efforts to strengthen partnership between the African Union and the United Nations.
Mr. António Guterres and the Chairperson of the African Union Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat called for further strengthening of a comprehensive, integrated and coordinated approach to conflict prevention by addressing the root causes of conflicts, strengthening political processes and respect for rule of law as well as the promotion of sustainable and inclusive development.
While in Addis Ababa, the Secretary-General addressed the African Union Peace and Security Council with the AU Chairperson and is expected to meet with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy Ahmed this evening.