The African Union Commission, in collaboration with the Republic of Togo, organized a high-level side event entitled "80 Years of the United Nations: Accelerating the Reform Agenda and Consolidating Momentum towards Justice and Reparations."
The event brought together the foreign ministers of Angola, the current Chair of the Union; Ghana, the Champiton of the Reparations Initiative; Togo, the host of the Ninth Pan-African Conference; and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, as well as representatives from the United Nations, civil society, and the African diaspora, to discuss the reforms required within the UN system to support equitable development and achieve justice for Africa and its peoples.
In his remarks, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, highlighted that organizing this historic event embodies the spirit of African unity and the political will to advance the UN reform agenda and support issues of justice and reparations.
He pointed out that when the international system was founded in 1945, most of the continent's countries were subject to colonialism, emphasizing that this absence is what creates the current challenges related to inequality in international institutions.
The Chairperson of the Commission added that addressing the wounds of the past is not limited to historical recognition but rather requires restoring dignity to Africans and their diaspora through bold reform programs that include enhancing African representation and influence in the UN system and ensuring the continent's rights to development and global governance.
He emphasized that corrective justice is not limited to symbolic reparations but rather requires strategic partnerships and targeted investments in education, health, infrastructure, and scientific and technological innovation.
The foreign ministers of Togo, Ghana, and Angola emphasized the urgent need to develop a clear action plan that includes practical measures to amend the structure of the Security Council and adjust governance mechanisms to ensure equitable representation of African countries' interests.
They also emphasized the need to develope financing tools for achieving reparations, with the involvement of all relevant parties to enhance accountability.
The foreign ministers described this event as an important step in the African Union's journey towards creating a more just global architecture for African countries and peoples.
They highlighted that the ministerial side event is part of ongoing efforts to demand fair reforms within the United Nations and promote the rights of African peoples to development and dignity.
For his part, Ambassador Amr Aljowaily, Director of the African Diaspora and Citizens Directorate at the African Union Commission, presented a detailed presentation of the decisions of the 2024 and 2025 African Summits, which launched the year's theme, "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations."
He highlighted that the relevant decisions identified in a comprehensive manner the issues that must be addressed, encompassing political, moral, economic, social, and legal dimensions, as well as the mechanisms established to support the efforts of the President of Ghana as the African Union's champion of the reparations file.
These include the Committee of Experts on Reparations, the Reference Group of Legal Experts, and the establishment of an International Reparations Fund.
The program included several sessions and dialogue forums focusing on the importance of institutional reform within the United Nations to achieve the principle of corrective justice and reparations for the historical injustice suffered by the African continent due to colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.
The sessions also addressed the pivotal role of the diaspora and civil society in supporting reform and accountability efforts, as well as strengthening strategic partnerships at the regional and international levels in preparation for the Ninth Pan-African Congress scheduled to be held in Lomé in 2025.
Egyptian Senator Amira Saber highlighted Cairo's contribution to supporting liberation movements through the African Association in Zamalek, as well as Egypt's pioneering role in establishing both the Organization of African Unity in 1963 and, subsequently, the African Union in the early 2000s.
In her closing remarks, Ambassador Salma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the Commission, emphasized the importance of the frank discussions and broad partnerships that characterized the event's sessions, considering that the spirit of African solidarity enhances the momentum toward reforming the UN system and establishing a solid foundation for corrective justice.
She emphasized the pivotal role of civil society and the African diaspora in monitoring and accountability, calling on member states to remain committed to collective efforts until the desired reforms are achieved.
Ambassador Haddadi also highlighted the importance of incorporating the recommendations of the high-level event into practical plans and roadmaps for the coming year, especially with the approach of the Ninth Pan-African Congress in Lomé.
She called for transforming these recommendations into operational priorities, including enhancing transparency, supporting inclusive dialogue, and stimulating joint monitoring and evaluation efforts.
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