NGO Calls for “Speech to Action” Diplomacy as African Leaders Gather at UNGA

A non-governmental organisation has urged African leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to move beyond powerful speeches and instead back their positions with concrete diplomatic, economic, legal and security actions that translate continental demands into real leverage.

In a statement issued on the 27th of September, the Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) said Africa has spent decades expressing concerns over international law, sovereignty, foreign interference, global inequality and the need to reform the international system, but has yet to build sufficient capacity to make its positions consequential.

Abdulrazaq Hamzat, PeacePro’s executive director, said African leaders should approach the UN as representatives of sovereign states with clearly defined interests and the capacity to defend them. He argued that demands for respect for African sovereignty must be accompanied by stronger African security, intelligence, economic and institutional capabilities.

“A sovereign position must have sovereign capacity behind it. African leaders should not approach the international system as petitioners seeking permission to defend Africa’s legitimate interests,” Hamzat said. He urged governments to treat sovereignty as requiring not only declarations but also the institutional, economic and security muscle to enforce them.

PeacePro called for a new approach it terms “Speech to Action Diplomacy.” Under this model, major positions announced by African leaders at the UN would be followed by measurable actions at national, regional or continental levels. If Africa defends international law, for example, it should simultaneously strengthen African legal and diplomatic mechanisms capable of advancing and defending those principles.

The organisation urged African governments to deliberately build capabilities critical to strategic autonomy, including in energy, food, finance, technology, industry, defence, maritime security, transportation, education, intelligence and institutional governance. The aim, it said, is to reduce dependence on external actors and increase Africa’s ability to shape outcomes rather than merely react to them.

The call comes as African leaders use UNGA 2026 to press for permanent representation on the UN Security Council, reform of international financial institutions and greater support for African-led peace and security initiatives. The African Union has framed its message around three themes: a stronger African voice in global decisions, greater African ownership of the continent’s future, and positioning Africa as an indispensable partner in addressing global challenges.

Kashim Shettima, Kenya’s President William Ruto and Ghana’s President John Mahama have used their addresses to highlight Africa’s exclusion from permanent Security Council seats, the need to move from raw mineral exports to local value addition, and the importance of fairer global financial rules.

PeacePro said the true measure of African sovereignty should not be the applause generated after an African president delivers a powerful speech at the United Nations, but what the continent is capable of doing afterwards. “Every major African declaration should answer a simple question: What are we prepared to do if our position is ignored?” Hamzat asked.

For African policymakers, the NGO’s message is a challenge to match rhetorical demands for reform with tangible investments in state capacity, regional integration and strategic autonomy. Whether African leaders embrace “Speech to Action Diplomacy” as a guiding framework will depend on how they translate UNGA declarations into domestic and continental policies in the months ahead.

Africa Presents is a Pan-African digital magazine and monthly publication covering politics, business, economy, culture, tech, and the stories shaping Africa and its diaspora. Visit africapresents.com and follow @AfricaPresents for daily coverage and monthly themed magazine editions.