Advocacy Role
OSAA’s advocacy function is a strategic instrument for influencing global perceptions, policy narratives, and ultimately, the allocation of international attention and resources toward Africa’s priorities. Grounded in its unique mandate, OSAA uses advocacy not as a communication add-on, but as a deliberate mechanism to reframe Africa’s place in global discourse, from a continent of crisis to a continent of agency, ambition, and solutions.
Over the past five years, OSAA has repositioned itself as a leading voice in promoting a narrative of Africa that is evidence-based, forward-looking, and anchored in African ownership. Through targeted messaging, convening power, and alliance-building across the UN system, Member States, think tanks, civil society, and African institutions, OSAA has become a catalytic actor in aligning global attention with Africa’s development, peace, and governance priorities, as articulated in Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda.
In collaboration with the Department of Global Communications, the Economic Commission for Africa, and other key partners, OSAA designs and delivers high-impact advocacy campaigns, policy dialogues, and expert engagements that elevate African perspectives in multilateral fora. Its flagship platform, the Africa Dialogue Series (ADS), has evolved into the UN system’s preeminent event on Africa. The ADS convenes policymakers, scholars, civil society, and UN leadership to confront distorted narratives, mobilize political will, and influence multilateral resource flows in line with Africa’s self-defined priorities.
Beyond visibility, OSAA’s advocacy is grounded in substance. It is embedded in the Office’s broader knowledge ecosystem, ensuring that messages are underpinned by data, foresight, and policy insight. This credibility enables OSAA not only to amplify African voices but also to shape the global development agenda in ways that challenge inertia, redirect assumptions, and support Africa’s rightful place in global governance.
In a fragmented information landscape, OSAA’s advocacy is a tool of strategic influence—targeted, policy-linked, and impact-driven.