UN Official says Africa–Caribbean Summit highlights inclusive multilateralism and transcontinental cooperation

Addis Ababa, September 7, 2025 (FMC) — The Second Africa–Caribbean Summit opened in Addis Ababa today with a strong call for unity, justice, and inclusive multilateral cooperation.

Speaking at the opening session, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the AU, described the summit as “rich in historical significance,” noting that it marks the first in-person gathering of African and Caribbean leaders.

He emphasized that the summit presents a unique opportunity to strengthen ancestral and cultural ties while expanding collaboration in trade, investment, tourism, science, and technology.

“The summit reflects the African Union’s enduring commitment to multilateralism, which is alive, embodied in the values and work of organizations such as the AU, and aligned with the UN Charter to advance peace, security, and international cooperation,” Onanga-Anyanga said.

Recalling UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s call for a more inclusive multilateral system, he highlighted the Africa–Caribbean partnership as a model of “networked, inclusive, and people-centered multilateralism.”

The envoy also welcomed Benin’s initiative to create legal pathways for descendants of Sub-Saharan Africans to reconnect formally with their ancestral homelands, describing it as a landmark step with the potential to strengthen ties between Africa, the Caribbean, and the wider diaspora.

Onanga-Anyanga underscored the summit’s pivotal role in advancing transcontinental reparative justice. Citing Guterres’s remarks at the African Union Assembly earlier this year, he noted that Africa and the Caribbean continue to face the legacies of “two colossal compounding injustices” — the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism.

“Decolonization and independence did not fully free nations from structures of exploitation or decades of under-investment,” he said, urging the establishment of frameworks for reparative justice and reforms in global institutions, including the UN Security Council, to correct historical imbalances and reflect today’s realities.

Concluding his address, Onanga-Anyanga affirmed that the Africa–Caribbean Summit offers a platform to chart a future of shared prosperity, dignity, and security, anchored in solidarity, technological innovation, and strengthened South–South cooperation.