At a press conference after speaking at the parliament on Monday afternoon, António Guterres said he discussed the economic situation with the Angolan president João Lourenço, whom he met during Monday morning.
“I know many African countries and, as in many of them, Angola bears an excessive debt burden and remains overly exposed to external shocks,” he said, recalling that he conveyed the same message recently at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
Guterres called for “a profound reform of the global financial architecture that reflects today’s world, offering accessible and predictable financing, rather than penalising the victims of crises they did not cause.” He also argued that African countries should have “their rightful place” in all international organisations, including multilateral financial institutions and the United Nations Security Council.
“It is scandalous that there are still no permanent members from the African continent” in the UN, he said, stressing that “the status quo is unsustainable” and that without reform, “entire generations will be condemned to pay the price for decisions taken elsewhere”.
The UN leader noted that the visit comes at a special time as Angola celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence, pointing out that it has a “deeply personal dimension”.
I will never forget that the national liberation struggle helped pave the way for democracy in my own country,” (Portugal) he said, adding that returning to Angola is “returning to a country that has deeply marked” his journey and his conscience.
Guterres also praised Angola’s role in mediating conflicts in the Great Lakes region, describing the country as “a pillar of the African Union” and “an important partner of the United Nations”. Angola, he said, is a voice that speaks out in favour of “reconciliation and African solutions to African crises”. “Angola knows how much war costs and how much peace is worth,” he stressed.
On the other hand, he also addressed climate issues, highlighting that the country faces severe droughts, with dramatic impacts on rural communities. “Climate justice requires massive and immediate support for countries like Angola, for early warning systems, resilient agriculture, land and forest management, and a just energy transition,” he said.
Guterres recalled that talking about degrees of global warming “is talking about human lives, here in Angola and around the world.”
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