This summit is a demonstration that the partnership between the African Union and the UN is an absolutely central, strategic partnership for the United Nations. We consider that our work, in peace and security, in human rights, in development, in relation to climate change - our work can only succeed in the world if it succeeds in Africa. We believe that our work can only succeed in Africa if we work hand in hand together with the African Union.
 
We have worked, looking into all the crisis situations that exist in Africa, and I believe that we have established a clear mutual understanding, seeing eye to eye in relation to each of the situations, and having a firm decision to work together to help overcome the crises still existing in the continent.
 
But there are two central messages that I would like to convey today. One is in relation to climate change. Climate change is the defining issue of our time. The African continent practically does not contribute to climate change, but the African continent is one of the areas of the world where the impact of climate change is more dramatic and devastating. Look at the storms in Mozambique and Zimbabwe and Malawi or look at the drought progressing dramatically in areas like the Sahel. 
 
We are not winning the battle in relation to climate change. We need more ambition in mitigation, more ambition in adaptation, more ambition in financing in order to create the conditions to reverse the present trends. This is the reason why we will have our climate summit in September. It is absolutely essential for states, for the business community, for cities, for all to assume the engagement to reduce emissions by 45% to 2030, and to come to a net zero emissions in 2050.  Without that, the African continent will inevitably have dramatic impacts that will undermine its development and will undermine its security, and the whole world will suffer.
 
Second, we have a common project, the Agenda 2063 of African Development and the Agenda 2030 of sustainable development globally. The two agendas are aligned, but the two agendas that aim at a fair globalization, aim at development that is sustainable and that is inclusive, cannot be implemented without financing. And a common battle that we will be facing in the next few months is to make sure that there is a quantum leap in the available financing to development, not only in the African continent, but particularly in the African continent, that is not only from the point of view of the expression of international solidarity, but it is from the point of view of enlightened self- interest.
 
Development in Africa is a fundamental precondition for more equilibrium, for more peace in the world, for phenomena like migration to be more easily handled, and so it in the interests of the whole international community to substantially increase the financing for development available for African countries.
 
These are two battles - climate change and financing for development - in which the African Union and the UN will work hand in hand in the months to come.