ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for urgency to put in place a reparatory justice framework to heal historical grievances of the people of Africa and their descendants.

The secretary-general made the call at the opening of the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) that kicked off Saturday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

"The world must never forget that Africa is the victim of two colossal and compounded injustices, colonialism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade," said Guterres, highlighting that their impact continues to affect the people of African descent to date.

The AU stated that legacies of colonialism, trans-Atlantic slavery, apartheid, and systemic racial discrimination have left socio-economic, cultural, and psychological scars across the African people.

This year's summit is held under the theme "Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations."

Africa was under colonial domination when today's multilateral system was created, and that injustice endures, said Guterres, describing the current international financial architecture as "outdated, dysfunctional and unfair."

"There is no excuse that Africa still lacks permanent representation in the 21st century," Guterres told African leaders, noting that the UN would strive for fair representation of Africa in the global governance.

Decolonization alone in itself was not a panacea, Guterres said, noting that political independence did not free countries from structures which were founded on exploitation and decades of economic, social and institutional under-investments.

The secretary-general said the UN is introducing a new pact to reform the current international financial architecture in a way that reflects today's world economy, ensures fair representation, and promotes debt relief. Enditem

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