Academic Conference on Africa 2025

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) is convening the 2025 Academic Conference on Africa at a defining moment, as the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary (UN80), the world confronts profound geopolitical and economic realignments, and the multilateral system itself faces a crisis of purpose. In this atmosphere of uncertainty and redefinition, the voices of African thinkers are vital to shaping the principles and priorities of the world to come. At the same time, Africa’s own realities mirror these global tensions; a struggle to redefine governance, sovereignty, and justice amid rapid transformation.  Within this broader reordering, Africa’s domestic challenges have become both more visible and more pressing. 

Since 2014, nearly 40% of African countries—home to almost half the continent’s population—have seen governance decline. Over 60% face worsening security and rule of law, and half report setbacks in participation, inclusion, and human rights. Institutional dysfunction and eroded legitimacy have bred disillusionment and weakened the social contract.  In a growing number of contexts, there is an “absence of the State,” wherein the State is present in form but absent in function:  unable to deliver essential services, ensure equity, or command legitimacy.  The result is deepening frustration -- nearly two-thirds of Africans believe their countries are headed in the wrong direction, and most are dissatisfied with the functioning of democracy.

Africa’s governance challenges are rooted in historical distortions that weakened the State: enslavement, colonial rule, and externally imposed economic models. Structural adjustment policies hollowed out public institutions, prioritising austerity over social investment.  As Thandika Mkandawire observed, these “choiceless democracies” stripped the State of developmental ambition and legitimacy, and its cost has been severe.  Anti-government protests have risen nearly 24% annually over the past decade, and terrorism-related deaths on the continent remain the highest globally. In areas like the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, non-State armed groups -- including extremist, rebel and criminal groups -- have capitalised to gain legitimacy, influence, and recruits, with studies showing that one in three recruits in the region joined due to grievances tied to State absence, such as economic exclusion, corruption, or lack of access to justice.  The wave of coups in the Sahel and beyond underscores how the erosion of legitimacy can unravel stability and support for democracy.

At this moment of crisis and possibility, African scholarship is indispensable. Any transformative change on the continent must be anchored in African thought leadership. In this spirit, the 2025 Academic Conference on Africa will convene under the theme “Seizing the Moment: The African State and Its Promise.” The Conference will underscore that rebuilding the African State lies at the heart of peace and development — and that Africa’s vision and scholarship are indispensable to shaping a more just and inclusive multilateral future. 

Join us!