Secretary‑General to attend African Union summit, urges financial reforms and praises press freedom defenders

The secretary‑general will travel to Addis Ababa on Thursday to attend the 38th African Union summit, hold bilateral meetings with African Union Commission leaders and Ethiopian authorities, and take part in AU Peace and Security Council meetings on Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN officials said at a press briefing.

He is scheduled to attend the summit’s opening session on Saturday and deliver remarks in which he will reaffirm that the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union “has never been stronger.” The briefing said the secretary‑general is expected to reiterate calls for reforms of the international financial architecture and for permanent representation of African countries on the UN Security Council; he will also hold a press conference while in Addis Ababa.

Before leaving Paris, the secretary‑general visited the headquarters of Reporters Sans Frontières and met its director‑general, Thibaut Broutin. The briefing quoted the secretary‑general as saying organizations such as RSF “are on the front line in the common fight for truth against fiction, for science against conspiracy, and for the fight against impunity when journalists face violence and even death.” He said defending freedom of the press and journalists is essential to preserving democracies.

The spokesperson also noted other engagements, including involvement in AU discussions on Sudan and the DRC, and said further details of his bilateral meetings would be provided in subsequent updates.