AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and French President Emmanuel Macron held informal consultations on May 13, to align strategies on peace, governance reform, and economic resilience.

They signaled a "strong convergence of views" on the need for a more inclusive international order.

The central to the talks was the demand for permanent African representation within the United Nations Security Council.

According to the statement, the leaders "recognised the need for African representation in line with the spirit of the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration."

They reaffirmed that "African solutions to the crises affecting the continent" remain the priority in a balanced partnership between the AU and the UN.

A major breakthrough of the meeting was the commitment to move beyond rhetoric regarding the funding of peace operations.

The leaders reaffirmed their support for UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023), describing it as a "landmark development in the partnership between the African Union and the United Nations on peace and security."

To turn this into a reality, the three leaders agreed to launch a series of simulation exercises designed to test the practical arrangements for executing the resolution on the ground.

The immediate focus will turn to securing "more predictable, sustainable and flexible funding for African peace support operations," a move intended to stabilize regional interventions without altering the UN Security Council’s primary responsibility for global peace.

As part of the concrete steps toward financial independence, the leaders announced plans to host an international mobilization conference in Paris before the end of 2026.

They also called for strengthened international solidarity with Africa in order to mitigate the impact of this external shock on the continent’s food security.

The leaders expressed grave concern over the rising costs of hydrocarbons and fertilizers, which threaten macroeconomic stability and social order in the most vulnerable African nations.

In response, they agreed to explore "the establishment, under African leadership, of concrete emergency measures aimed at safeguarding the food security of vulnerable African States in the face of disruptions affecting global fertiliser markets."

President Macron indicated that these African priorities would be a focal point of the upcoming G7 Summit in Évian, scheduled for June 15-17 this year.