At Aswan Forum opening, Sisi highlights global inaction, double standards on humanitarian crises

CAIRO – 19 October 2025: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the world is witnessing “a failure and incapacity of the international community to confront major humanitarian crises,” stressing that Africa stands at the forefront of those affected by the tough global conditions.

Sisi made the remarks during the opening of the fifth edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, titled “A World in Flux, A Continent in Motion: Navigating Africa’s Progress Amid Global Shifts” on Sunday.

“It is no secret how grave the moment our world is witnessing today is,” the president said. He warned of “selectivity and double standards in protecting human values and principles,” as well as “ongoing violations of international law.”

He emphasized that such approaches have fueled global polarization, weakened the effectiveness of multilateral institutions, and hindered their reform efforts.

He also criticized the international community’s failure to meet its commitments toward developing countries, particularly in debt relief and climate financing.

‘Africa most affected’

This theme of this year’s edition of the forum “clearly reflects that Africa now lies at the heart of the severe tests facing the global system.”

“Our African continent stands at the forefront of those affected by these international conditions,” he said, “which contribute to fueling conflicts, intensifying competition over resources, deepening development challenges, and obstructing the path toward sustainable peace and development.”

Sisi highlighted Africa’s chronic and renewed challenges, including internal crises, external interventions that undermine state authority, terrorism, irregular migration, transnational organized crime, and rising threats in cyber and climate security that directly affect food and water stability.

Africa’s Key Potentials

Despite these challenges, the president emphasized that Africa also holds significant opportunities to play a leading role in restoring coherence and credibility to the global system and strengthening international institutions in a more inclusive and transparent manner.

“Despite the difficult international circumstances,” he said, “Africa abounds with immense resources and human potential, and has already taken important steps toward activating these capabilities to support development across the continent.”

He cited the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area as a key milestone, describing it as “a cornerstone in implementing the African Union’s Agenda 2063.”

Spotlighting Africa’s Challenges

The current edition of the Aswan Forum spotlights major and emerging security challenges in Africa, strategies for addressing them, and efforts toward post-conflict reconstruction and development.

It also supports the full implementation of the African Union’s updated policies for achieving peace and sustainable development.

The discussions will also cover investment in infrastructure and strategic corridors, as well as the role of the private sector and innovative partnerships in achieving development goals.

Sisi noted that the forum will give special attention to women and youth, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and the 10th anniversary of the Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda.

Sisi expressed hope that the forum’s discussions over the coming two days would yield fruitful outcomes reflected in the Aswan Conclusions, which Egypt will follow up on in the coming year.

“I am confident that our African continent is capable of safeguarding and realizing the aspirations of its peoples for sustainable peace and development, and for living in a just global order governed by human principles and values, and characterized by a spirit of goodwill and cooperation among all peoples.”