On 6 August, after three days in office, Ms. Cristina Duarte, United Nations Under- Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa had her first official meeting with the African Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York (Africa Group), a primary constituency of the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa that she heads.
During the virtual meeting, Ms. Duarte pointed out that despite Africa’s pivotal role in the world economy as the major provider of key raw materials and its strategic importance in the global value chains, the continent is still lagging behind in terms of decision making on the global arena.
“Africa is changing at a fast pace but not fast enough to cope with global challenges in order to claim her position as a global player,” she said, adding that “there is a gap between Africa’s strategic importance in the global value chain and Africa’s decision making power in the global arena.”
Ms. Duarte emphasized that the continent deserves a stronger voice or a better ear in international fora and that is where OSAA can play a pivotal role as a strategic entity that can amplify the voice of Africa and bring African concerns and priorities to the fore.
“With the support of the African Group in New York, I hope and I know I will be able to leverage my leadership skills and experience to keep enhancing OSAA’s role as a key partner for Africa in the UN family, pursuing the efforts of my predecessor, Ms. Bience Gawanas,” Ms. Duarte said.
Ms. Duarte further expressed her ambition to bring Africa to a position where she can claim her role as a global and respected player, as envisionned in the preamble of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
In July 2020, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres appointed Ms. Duarte of the Republic of Cabo Verde as Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa. She took up her new appointment in August 2020.
Ms. Duarte brings to the United Nations more than 34 years of leadership and strategic management experience in public policy making and in the private sector, coupled with a deep understanding of international and regional cooperation and the challenges facing African countries.
In addition to the Africa Group, during her first week Ms. Duarte also met UN partners and OSAA staff.