AFRICAN LEGAL SUPPORT FACILITY INAUGURAL FORUM
Theme:
“Resourcing the ALSF to Empower Africa’s Sustainable Development”
Statement
By
Mr. Claver Gatete
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Secretary of ECA
Abidjan, La Côte d’Ivoire
26 May, 2025
H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde, Former President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank,
Chairman, ALSF Governing Council,
Mr. Olivier Pognon, Director & CEO, ALSF,
Distinguished Guests,
Colleagues and Partners,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is an honour to address this landmark gathering on the crucial theme, “Resourcing the ALSF to Empower Africa’s Sustainable Development.”
Let me begin by acknowledging the visionary leadership of the African Legal Support Facility, the African Development Bank and all partner institutions whose enduring commitment gave rise to this critical institution.
Excellency,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are meeting at a critical inflection point in history.
As we speak, the foundations of the global economy are shifting, with rising geopolitical tensions and growing fractures in the multilateral system.
Nowhere are the consequences of these upheavals more acute than in Africa.
Across the continent, sovereign debt levels of our countries are rising, while the fiscal space available to governments continues to narrow.
At the same time, Africa remains vulnerable to cascading external shocks from the lingering after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to climate-induced disasters, including floods and droughts, which consume as much as 5% of Africa’s GDP annually.
In the midst of these overlapping crises, we are witnessing intensified global competition for critical minerals, including cobalt, lithium, graphite and rare earths, all of which are indispensable for powering a green and digital transition.
And where are these minerals found in abundance? Right here, in Africa.
However, the question we must ask is: while the world sees Africa’s mineral wealth, is there equal recognition of our ability to negotiate fair value?
And while they admire our natural capital, do they support our institutional capacity to manage it equitably?
It is no secret that many African countries continue to sign contracts they do not fully understand, with terms that mortgage the future for short-term gains.
Why?
Because legal capacity remains uneven, technical expertise is often absent, and negotiation teams are frequently outmatched.
This is precisely why the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) was established.
When the ECA joined hands with the African Development Bank and other partners to establish the ALSF over a decade and a half ago, we had a clear vision.
That vision was to provide African governments with the legal and institutional muscle to navigate a complex global economy.
And today, that vision is more relevant than ever.
It is commendable that the ALSF has supported governments to renegotiate natural resource contracts, audit mining laws and strengthen governance in extractive sectors.
From Guinea to Niger, Lesotho to Eritrea, these efforts have led to concrete, measurable gains.
And it is in this spirit that ECA, ALSF and partners contributed to the Africa Mining Vision and the newly adopted African Green Minerals Strategy, placing governance, equity and beneficiation at the core of Africa’s resource development.
However, Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,
For the ALSF to continue delivering, for it to scale and evolve, we must now make deliberate choices.
First, we must establish a sustainable financing framework for the ALSF.
The current model, which is heavily reliant on donors, is not viable.
Member States must increase their contributions as a declaration of ownership.
Countries that co-invest value the services more and use them more strategically.
Second, we must diversify the ALSF’s team to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of modern negotiations.
Lawyers are extremely vital in the context of ALSF.
But so are engineers, economists, climate scientists and infrastructure planners.
Complex transactions demand a convergence of skills.
And we must be ready to address this need.
Third, we must reframe ALSF support from a reactive model to a proactive one.
Instead of waiting for requests, ALSF can design targeted, thematic programmes on climate finance contracts, digital infrastructure and green minerals that align with both national plans and global frameworks such as the SDGs and the Paris Agreement.
And fourth, we must deepen partnerships with global philanthropic actors.
Organizations like the Bezos Earth Fund, which share ALSF’s mission of protecting the planet’s resources, can become long-term allies in resourcing African legal capacity.
Excellency,
Dear Colleagues:
I wish to reiterate that the institutional reform we are advocating is an investment in Africa’s voice at the global negotiating table.
As the ECA has long emphasized, from the Climate Finance Dialogues to the Sustainable Debt Coalition, Africa cannot build resilience without autonomy.
And legal empowerment is an integral part of that autonomy.
In the post-World War II era, institutions were deliberately set up to rebuild Europe.
In the same way, in the 21st century, Africa must build its own institutional foundations to claim its place in the new global order.
Accordingly, the ALSF must be part of that foundation.
I am confident that together we can work to resource the ALSF.
And in doing so, we resource Africa’s future.
I thank you.