New York – In a pivotal push for Africa’s progress, African Union (AU) Deputy Chairperson H.E. Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi and United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General H.E. Amina Mohammed co-chaired the Fifth AU-UN High-Level Strategic Dialogue on Sustainable Development on November 10 at UN headquarters, November 12, 2025.

The event united AU commissioners, UN representatives, and the AU’s Permanent Observer to the UN to tackle Africa’s unique sustainable development challenges and boost inter-organizational collaboration, aligning the AU’s Agenda 2063 with the UN’s 2030 Agenda.

Haddadi opened by acknowledging UN agencies’ regular consultations with AU technical departments and AUDA-NEPAD, praising their support in building institutional capacity for democratic development, trade policy, and food security across Africa.

She emphasized, as per the official release, the necessity for institutional reforms in both entities to enhance sustainable efforts and advocated for regular review processes to track initiative progress.

Mohammed, in her address, promoted sharing best practices through such forums to scale successful programs regionally.

She highlighted the critical role of involving marginalized groups, including women and youth, in development and decision-making processes.

Discussions covered AU-UN cooperation, UN80 reforms, peace and security, governance, women’s leadership, youth development, infrastructure, education, climate resilience, innovative financing, technology, and environmental sustainability.

Outcomes included agreements on joint monitoring frameworks, organizational reforms, and investments in education for enduring sustainability, reinforcing the partnership’s commitment to Africa’s transformation amid global pressures.