Advisory Role

The Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa provides the Secretary-General with high-level strategic advice on emerging, cross-cutting, and systemic issues impacting Africa, as well as on ensuring coherence and coordination across the United Nations’ engagement on the continent. The Special Adviser also undertakes special assignments related to Africa at the discretion of the Secretary-General.

The Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) holds a distinct mandate and a unique institutional position within the United Nations system. As the only entity at UN Headquarters with a continent-specific mandate, OSAA is strategically positioned to serve as the system’s principal convener on Africa and to support the Secretary-General in aligning the Organization’s diverse engagements on the continent. It operates as a central knowledge and coordination hub, linking UN leadership, Member States, and a broad range of stakeholders, including African institutions, civil society, academia, and policy experts, to mobilize the international community around Africa’s transformation priorities as set out in Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda.

OSAA’s advisory function is rooted in rigorous knowledge production and strategic foresight. It conducts forward-looking research and policy analysis on critical and complex issues affecting Africa’s peace, development, governance, and international positioning. The Office leads or contributes to the preparation of Africa-related reports, policy briefs, and Secretary-General inputs, ensuring that these outputs reflect both robust evidence and African policy priorities. OSAA also initiates strategic publications that shape system-wide understanding and positioning on Africa.

Importantly, OSAA’s advisory role goes beyond technical coordination. It transforms data and analysis into strategic guidance that shapes intergovernmental negotiations, enhances the visibility of African perspectives, and reinforces the credibility and unity of the UN system’s voice on Africa. OSAA actively supports the participation of African Member States in UN bodies and strengthens intergovernmental processes by providing timely, policy-relevant insight and framing.

In a rapidly shifting geopolitical and development landscape, OSAA has become a recognised intellectual actor in the African policymaking space, bridging analysis with multilateral diplomacy. Through this function, OSAA contributes decisively to elevating Africa’s voice and agency in global governance and ensures that the UN’s engagement on the continent is coherent, impactful, and anchored in African priorities.