UNITED Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described Africa’s debt situation “as unsustainable and a recipe for social unrest."

Speaking at the China-Africa cooperation summit in Beijing on Thursday, he called for "deep reforms" to the “outdated, ineffective, and unfair international financial system.”

These reforms would help provide developing countries with "the liquidity they need" to respond to problems, including climate change, he said, noting that a growing debt crisis across the continent and the rising cost of living has resulted in civil unrest in several countries,  citing Kenya in recent months.

Many African countries are mired in debt and struggling to invest in sustainable development, he said, recalling his proposals to reform “outdated, ineffective and unfair international financial architecture.”

The goal is to provide a stimulus plan for developing countries striving to make the sustainable development goals (SDGs) a reality, he said, asserting that solutions include increasing the lending capacity of multilateral development banks.

This would enable them to massively scale up affordable financing for development, he started, stressing that the support of China and Africa for these initiatives is critical.

 “In this context, South-South cooperation is essential to build capacities and drive progress on shared development goals – while in no way reducing the responsibilities of the Global North,” the UN chief declared.

“Many have no access to effective debt relief, or enjoy scarce resources,” he said, pointing at the clearly insufficient concessional funding to respond to the basic needs of their population.

This would help to protect them from the ravages of a climate crisis which African countries “did nothing to create,” he further asserted, highlighting that China has become a major player in Africa since the forum was founded in 2000.

Chinese companies have invested heavily in mining for the resources its industry needs, while its development banks have made loans to build railways, roads, and other infrastructure.

China has become sub-Saharan Africa’s largest bilateral trading partner but China exports much more to the continent than it imports, he said, suggesting that in part to reduce the trade deficit, African leaders are seeking Beijing's help to expand their agricultural exports and industrialise their economies.

Chinese cooperation with African countries could drive development in many key areas including energy, food safety, and technology, while joint efforts by China and Africa can spark new momentum for development on the continent.

UN support for this partnership is necessary on account of rising geopolitical tensions, raging conflicts and growing poverty and hunger, he said, pointing at the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan.

He also lamented the worsening climate crisis, inequalities and threats to global and African efforts to achieve sustainable development, describing China’s partnership with the African continent as a pillar of South-South cooperation.

The exchange of technology and skills between countries of the Global South is an illustration of the United Nations Charter, as it can create a new momentum for African development, the UN chief intoned.