United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has called for renewed global solidarity to support Africa’s pursuit of a climate-resilient, equitable, and sustainable future.
Delivering a video message at the 2025 Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS), held from July 10–11 in Lagos and co-convened by the UN in Nigeria and the Sterling One Foundation, Mohammed praised Africa’s growing leadership on climate action but stressed the urgent need for international backing.
“Africa is stepping up with vision, leadership, and courageous solutions. Now it is the turn of the international community to rise to the occasion,” she said. “Let us unite in solidarity to forge a climate-resilient, equitable, and sustainable future for all.”
Mohammed highlighted the need for collaboration from governments, multilateral development banks, private investors, and philanthropies to unlock the financing, technology, and partnerships required to drive transformative change across the continent.
She noted that UN Resident Coordinators and Country Teams were actively supporting nationally led initiatives to turn plans and ambitions into measurable impact on the ground.
Reflecting on the status of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mohammed warned that global progress was faltering. “We are five years away from the 2030 deadline, yet rising debt, declining investment, shrinking aid, and worsening climate impacts are hindering countries least responsible for these crises.”
She lamented that over 3 billion people live in nations spending more on interest payments than on health and education — a situation she described as unsustainable.
Referencing the outcomes of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, she highlighted the Seville Commitment, which prioritizes: mobilizing large-scale sustainable development investments, tackling the debt-development crisis, and reforming global financial systems to better serve vulnerable countries — all anchored in strong climate action.
On climate and energy, Mohammed described Africa as both a victim of the climate crisis and a hub of innovation and resilience. She spotlighted initiatives like Mission 300, which aims to connect 300 million people to clean, affordable energy, as an example of aligning climate goals with development priorities.
She concluded by emphasizing that while African nations are laying out blueprints for a just transition, global partners must match the continent’s ambition with meaningful support.
