Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, told African Union leaders that the legacy of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade continues to harm Africans and people of African descent and called for a reparatory justice framework and permanent African representation on the United Nations Security Council.

"Decolonization alone in itself was not a panacea," Guterres said, adding that political independence did not free countries from structures based on exploitation and decades of underinvestment. He said the world must put in place a reparatory justice framework.

Guterres said Africa was under colonial rule when today's multilateral system was created and that injustice endures. "There is no excuse that Africa still lacks permanent representation in the 20 first century," he said, urging work with the African Union and member states to secure the representation Africa needs, including two permanent seats on the Security Council.

The secretary-general linked Security Council reform to broader international financial architecture changes, saying the current system is "outdated, dysfunctional, and unfair" and urging reforms to reflect the contemporary global economy.

Guterres referenced the United Nations' Pact for the Future as a recent effort to drive those changes and thanked African states for backing it. He said the next task is to translate commitments into action.

The remarks were part of a wider speech in which Guterres addressed security crises, climate finance and economic development across the continent.