Sixth Trilateral Meeting of the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations – Joint Statement

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

1. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf; the President of the European Council, António Costa; the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen; and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, met on 21 September 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, along with senior officials of the Secretariats from the three organizations.

2. The three organizations reiterated their support for multilateralism as the most effective way to address today’s challenges. They condemned the rising number of instances of lack of respect for international humanitarian law and human rights law. They discussed peace efforts in Africa, including the imperative to end the devastating war in the Sudan by intensifying collective support and coordination towards an inclusive political dialogue in view of an immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustainable solution the conflict. They also discussed measures to strengthen the fight against terrorist armed groups and to promote reconciliation and development in the Sahel. They affirmed their support for the United Nations roadmap to revive the political process in Libya and reiterated their commitment to address migration in line with international humanitarian and human rights standards, including through the African Union-European Union-United Nations Tripartite Task Force on the Situation of Migrants and Refugees in Libya. They expressed support to ongoing international and regional peace initiatives in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in line with the communiqué adopted by the African Union Peace and Security Council during its 1261^st meeting on 14 February 2025 and the United Nations Security Council resolution 2773 (2025). They reaffirmed their support for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, urging sustained and broadened donor contributions to ensure the mission’s effective mandate delivery. Moreover, they exchanged views on the ongoing reviews of peace operations aimed at addressing more efficiently emerging challenges in Africa and beyond. They welcomed efforts and called for further progress regarding the operationalization of Security Council resolution 2719 (2023) on predictable financing of AU-led peace support operations on a case-by-case basis.

3. The three organizations reaffirmed their collective commitment to advancing durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, in line with the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They noted the deepening of the partnership between Africa and Europe, in line with their Joint Vision for 2030, and the upcoming Summit between the African Union and the European Union scheduled in November 2025 in Luanda, Angola.

4. The three organizations underscored the importance of implementing the Sevilla Commitment to facilitate financing for development, catalyze investments and address the debt challenges of developing countries. They expressed concern over the climate-induced disruptions intensifying across the world, which are disproportionally affecting the most vulnerable populations, and called for ambitious commitments at the COP30 scheduled from 10 to 21 November 2025 in Brazil. Moreover, they commemorated the 25^th anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, and committed to accelerating women’s leadership and full, equal, and meaningful participation in peacebuilding processes.

5. The three organizations agreed to reconvene in 2026, on the margins of the 81^st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.