UNGA 80: African Connectivity – The Path to Continental Integration

80^TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HIGH-LEVEL SIDE EVENT

African Connectivity - The Path to Continental Integration

Welcome Remarks

By

Mr. Claver Gatete

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and

Executive Secretary of ECA

New York, USA

25 September, 2025

H.E. Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates,

H.E. Dr. Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary of ESCWA,

Ms. Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC),

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my distinct honour, on behalf of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, to welcome you to this high-level side event, co-organized with the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and our esteemed partners.

I wish to begin by expressing my deep appreciation to the Government of Morocco for its vision and leadership in convening us to deliberate on the critical issue of connectivity as the backbone of Africa's integration.

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

We meet at a time of profound transformation for our world.

Around the globe, economies are being reshaped by rapid technological change, shifting geopolitical dynamics, climate imperatives and growing demands for inclusive growth.

Connectivity - whether physical, digital or human - is increasingly recognized as the essential driver of competitiveness, resilience and shared prosperity.

How can we speak of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, if millions still lack access to electricity, if goods cannot move freely across regions and if the digital divide continues to widen?

For Africa, the challenge is even more urgent.

The continent is undergoing profound transformation, fuelled by its youthful population, dynamic markets and the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

However, we must pause to ask ourselves: how can a continent so richly endowed with resources and potential remain constrained by weak connectivity?

And how can Africa claim its rightful place in the global economy if its people, goods, services and ideas are not fully connected to one another?

Excellencies, the reality is sobering.

Less than 17% of Africa's trade takes place within the continent.

More than 600 million Africans still live without access to electricity.

Only 38% of the population is connected to internet, far below the global average of 68%.

And transport costs remain among the highest in the world.

Undeniably, these are significant barriers to integration, competitiveness and prosperity.

But this notwithstanding, the opportunities are equally striking.

Intra-African trade is projected to increase by more than 30% by 2045 with significant impact on GDP, exports and other services.

And with the newly adopted Protocol on Digital Trade, Africa has a chance to leapfrog and position itself at the heart of the global knowledge economy.

For this reason, at the ECA, we are working alongside our member States to turn these opportunities into reality.

Through innovations such as the African Regional Transport Corridor Management Systems, the Single African Air Transport Market and de-risking instruments to crowd in private investment, we are laying the foundations of a more connected Africa.

Equally, by advancing the operationalization of the Protocol on Digital Trade, we ensure that connectivity becomes not only the movement of goods, but the empowerment of people, the integration of markets and the realization of Africa's collective potential.

This is why it becomes imperative to translate these initiatives into a coherent agenda that advances Africa's integration.

It is within this context that I wish to share three priorities that must guide our collective efforts moving forward.

First, we must prioritize strategic investments in infrastructure - roads, ports, energy grids and broadband - anchored in innovative financing and robust public-private partnerships.

Without these foundations, the AfCFTA cannot deliver its full promise.

Second, we must work collectively to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers and harmonize trade regulations, so that goods, services and people move seamlessly across borders.

Integration cannot thrive on fragmented policies.

Third, we must place digital and green connectivity at the center of our strategies.

In this regard, we must recognize that Africa's future competitiveness depends on our ability to leapfrog through technology and to build sustainable systems aligned with the global climate agenda.

Distinguished Delegates,

Connectivity is the bridge between what Africa is today and what it can become tomorrow.

It is the link between potential and prosperity, between fragmentation and unity, between poverty and shared progress.

The urgency is clear, the path is set and the responsibility lies with us.

If we act together - decisively and without delay - the future of Africa's integration will not just be imagined, it will be achieved.

I thank you.