Joint Communiqué of the Tenth African Union–United Nations Annual Conference

Document Type

Communiqués

May 13, 2026

Body

On 13 May 2026, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, convened the Tenth African Union–United Nations Annual Conference at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa. They reaffirmed their commitment to the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union as a cornerstone for advancing peace and security, human rights, sustainable development, and accelerating progress on AU Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda. They agreed that cooperation between the two organizations rests on collective coordinated action to address complex global and regional challenges. They expressed deep concern over the multiplication of the prevailing global and continental challenges, including armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, poverty and inequalities, climate change, and disregard for international law and shared principles.

AU–UN Partnership Frameworks

The Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General reviewed progress in the implementation of the three joint frameworks, namely the Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, the Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Joint Framework on Human Rights. They welcomed the progress achieved in deepening institutional cooperation, strengthening coherence and accountability, and highlighted the importance of strengthening mechanisms such as the High-Level Strategic Dialogue (HLSD) and the College-to-College (C2C) platform, as well as regular engagements across the three pillars of the partnership. In this regard, they welcomed the adoption of General Assembly Resolution 79/329, which provides renewed impetus for reinforcing AU–UN cooperation frameworks and institutional mechanisms, ensuring Africa's centrality in the work of the United Nations.

Peace and Security

The Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General underscored the primacy of political solutions, as well as the need for predictable, sustainable, and adequate financing for AU-led peace support operations including through the implementation the UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) on a case-by-case basis.

They discussed regional situations, including the Great Lakes, the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, deploring the suffering caused by violent conflict in several regions, reaffirming their joint commitment to the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitutive Act, as well as to the promotion of political dialogue at both bilateral and regional levels to address ongoing crises.

On the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region , they underscored the need to urgently reach an effective and lasting ceasefire through amicable means, including through the AU-led mediation process, as called for in the Communiqué of the 1261^st Meeting of the Peace and Security Council, held on 14 February 2025 at the level of Heads of State and Government, on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Security Council resolution 2773 (2025). They agreed to strengthen coordinated support to the ongoing mediation processes, namely the African-led mediation process under the leadership of H.E. President Faure Gnassingbé, the AU Mediator, as well as the Doha and Washington processes.

On Sudan, they welcomed the appeal made by leading Sudanese civilian actors during the Third International Sudan Conference, held in Berlin, Germany, on 15 April 2026, calling for de-escalation and an end to the conflict. They called upon the parties to the conflict to place the supreme interests of the Sudanese people at the forefront and to engage constructively in efforts aimed at achieving peace. In this regard, they underscored the importance of revitalising an inclusive inter-Sudanese dialogue, rooted in reconciliation and aimed at fostering the conditions for a consensual political solution through the facilitation efforts of the Quintet. They further agreed to strengthen coordinated regional and international peace efforts in order to prevent further regional spillover and reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together, including within the Quintet framework, towards a swift, peaceful and sustainable resolution of the conflict.

On the Horn of Africa, they underscored the importance of the full implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA – Pretoria Agreement) and called on the signatory parties to use the established mechanisms to address any disagreement. They also expressed concern regarding the increase of interstate tensions within the region and agreed to strengthen coordinated preventive action by both organizations.

On the Sahel, they underscored the imperative of a comprehensive approach to prevent and counter violent extremism and committed to identifying ways and means to support national and regional efforts in this regard. They expressed their sincere condolences to the people of Mali following the deadly attacks perpetrated on 25 April 2026 and reiterated their firm condemnation of these terrorist attacks.

The Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General agreed to work closely toward enhancing the effective implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) including through the established thematic workstreams of the Joint United Nations–African Union Roadmap.

Furthermore, the Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General acknowledged the growing repercussions of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on the African continent. They reiterated calls for peace and dialogue and underscored the imperative of strengthened international solidarity and coordinated measures to de-escalate the situation and mitigate its impact on macroeconomic stability, energy supply, and food security, trade and supply chains, inflationary pressures and fiscal space in Africa and globally in Africa. In this regard, they agreed to advance this issue in relevant international fora, including the G20 and the G7.

Sustainable Development

The Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General welcomed progress achieved through the AU–UN partnership on sustainable development, particularly through the College-to-College (C2C), and High-Level Strategic Dialogue (HLSD) mechanisms. They commended the outcome of the 6^th AU–UN High-Level Strategic Dialogue on Sustainable Development held on 16 February 2026, including the establishment of a joint roadmap and digital dashboard to strengthen implementation and track progress. They further welcomed progress on the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (STYIP) of Agenda 2063 and reaffirmed the importance of continued AU–UN alignment in support of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda, including ahead of the United Nations Water Conference of December 2026, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal.

They also noted that recent engagements at the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development and strengthened collaboration on Financing for Development, domestic resource mobilization in Africa, and G20 processes have enhanced clarity and visibility of the partnership. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and building on the two organizations' legacy and institutional heritage.

The Chairperson and the Secretary-General noted the progress made in the joint technical work on the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063 (STYIP) and called on all parties and stakeholders to actively support the implementation of STYIP, especially in supporting all African countries in achieving middle-income status by 2033 and ensuring a stable, peaceful and prosperous Africa.

They called for accelerated reform of the international financial architecture to better reflect the priorities and realities of developing countries, particularly the African continent, as well as to address the structural challenges affecting its development, including the financing gap, unsustainable debt, illicit financial flows among others.

They reiterated the centrality of sustainable infrastructure, energy transition, digital transformation, youth employment, women’s economic empowerment, and regional integration, including through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as essential drivers for achieving sustainable and inclusive growth on the continent.

Human Rights

The Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General recalled the centrality of human rights to conflict prevention, sustaining peace, and inclusive development. They reaffirmed the importance of the Joint Framework on Human Rights and commended the adoption of the AU Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls.

They welcomed the outcomes of the recent Dialogue on Human Rights (Geneva, May 2025), which focused on strengthening human rights compliance in AU Peace Support Operations (AUPSOs) using the AU Compliance and Accountability Framework (AUCF) and reiterated the need for closer cooperation, and the continuity and sustainability of the partnership to enhance the respect for, and promotion and protection of human rights to fully comply with AU and international standards on human rights, transparency, and accountability.

AU Theme of the Year

The Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General underscored the convergence between the African Union Theme of the Year for 2026 — "Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063" — Sustainable Development Goal 6, and the upcoming United Nations Water Conference of December 2026, and committed to ensuring that African perspectives shape the global agenda. In this regard, they welcomed the role played by the 12th session of the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development which took place from 28 to 30 April 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the African Dialogue Series focused on the theme of the year. They also underscored the need to approach water not just as a basic service, but also as a strategic resource. They further agreed to scale up joint support to the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) and the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP), to promote a strategic asset management approach to water, to mobilise predictable financing for climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure, and to accelerate the deployment of early warning systems for water and climate risks, aiming for universal coverage of African populations by 2027.

With regard to the AU Theme of the Year in 2025, the Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General welcomed the historic adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime against Humanity on 25 March 2026. This constitutes a historic event in addressing the injustices of the past and the suffering of Africans and people of African descent.

Cross-Cutting Issues

The Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation on the advancement of health sovereignty, universal health coverage, and sustainable development across Africa. They committed to continue supporting strengthened migration governance frameworks that promote protection, regular pathways, and the humane management of migration, including through the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration, enhanced protection for stranded and vulnerable migrants, the combat against trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants, and coordinated responses to climate-induced displacement and mobility.

They further committed to deepening collaboration toward the operationalisation of the African Humanitarian Agency and to strengthened global solidarity in the face of forced displacement, as provided for by the Global Compact on Refugees, with a view to reinforcing Africa's humanitarian preparedness, response and resilience capacities, particularly in situations of forced displacement, protection of affected populations, and support to crisis-affected communities.

On illicit drug trafficking and its public health implications, the Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General agreed to intensify joint efforts to prevent and combat drug-related crime, promote evidence-based prevention, treatment, care, and rehabilitation services, strengthen HIV prevention among people who use drugs and in prison settings, and expand equitable access to controlled medicines for medical and scientific purposes across the continent.

A Stronger AU–UN Partnership

The Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General reaffirmed that the AU–UN partnership is strategic, multidimensional and forward-looking. They called for deeper co-creation, enhanced collaboration and continued innovation beyond 2026, and committed to advancing the development and validation of an AU–UN joint roadmap to better align continental priorities with global frameworks and amplify Africa's voice in international decision-making. They further underscored that the AU–UN partnership stands as a model of effective multilateralism, bridging regional and global governance and reinforcing the principles of shared responsibility and solidarity.

In this regard, they signed a Declaration reaffirming the principles underpinning the United Nations–African Union Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security (2017), the African Union–United Nations Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2018), and the African Union–United Nations Joint Framework on Human Rights (2023). They reaffirmed that the three pillars of cooperation are interconnected and mutually reinforcing and underscored the importance of regular and structured communication between the two organizations at all levels and across pillars. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening follow-up, accountability and joint implementation across the three frameworks.

The Chairperson of the Commission paid tribute to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E. António Guterres, as he prepares to conclude his distinguished tenure at the helm of the United Nations. Throughout his mandate, the Secretary-General demonstrated principled leadership and an unwavering commitment to advancing issues of critical importance to the African continent, notably in the areas of peace and security, sustainable development, humanitarian action, climate justice, and the reform of global governance institutions. The Chairperson of the Commission further commended his steadfast dedication to multilateralism and to the strengthening of the strategic partnership between the African Union and the United Nations, grounded in shared values and common objectives. The Chairperson of the Commission conveyed its profound appreciation for his enduring engagement with Africa and extends to him its sincere wishes for continued success, good health, and fulfilment in his future endeavours.

The Chairperson of the Commission and the Secretary-General agreed that the Eleventh AU–UN Annual Conference will be convened in 2027 in New York, at a mutually agreed date.

Press Release

Communiqué (EN)