New York, USA—A gala celebration of Africa Day took place at Manhattan Center in New York city on May 27, 2015, co-sponsored by the African Union in partnership with UPF and the United Nations African Ambassadors Spouses Group (UNAAGS). The theme for this year’s Africa Day was “Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063.”
UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson delivered UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for Africa Day to the hundreds of distinguished guests, comprising UN Ambassadors and dignitaries, African Union officials, and other high level officials of the diaspora. “Let us…intensify our efforts to provide Africa’s women with better access to education, work and healthcare and, by doing so, accelerate Africa’s transformation,” the UN Secretary-General said in his message.
H.E. Mr. Téte António, permanent observer of the Mission of the African Union to the UN, welcomed the audience; H.E. Mr. Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, permanent representative of Zimbabwe to the UN, delivered the message of the chair of the African Union; and H.E. Mr. Denis G. Antoine, permanent representative of Grenada to the UN, delivered the message of the president of the UN General Assembly.
Other speakers included Dr. Tageldin Ibrahim Hamad, secretary general of UPF; Mrs. Miriem Oueslati Khiari, president of UNAAGS, and spouse of the permanent representative of Tunisia to the UN; and Ms. Estella Amara, founder of the Beryl Roberts Orphanage Foundation.
The spouses group sponsored the evening’s African culinary buffet of delightful dishes representing the various regions of Africa, which guests enjoyed after the cake-cutting ceremony and photos.
Africa Day 2015 New York City from Universal Peace Federation (UPF) on Vimeo.
To read UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message, please click here.
To read the chairperson of the African Union's message, please click here.
To read the president of the UN General Assembly's message, please click here.
To read Dr. Hamad's message, please click here.