Addis Ababa, Feb 6 (IANS): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend the 33rd African Union (AU) summit, scheduled to take place on February 9-10, at the headquarters of the 55-member pan-African bloc in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

According to a UN statement late Wednesday, Guterres is expected to address the AU summit. The theme for this year's gathering will be "Silencing the Guns; Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa's Development", reported Xinhua news agency.

The UN secretary-general will hold bilateral meetings with member states, participate in some side events and will speak to a press conference on February 8, the statement said.

The UN in Ethiopia is finalizing arrangements for side events organized in collaboration with the AU, including a high-level meeting on gender equality and women's empowerment in Africa and the launch of the Africa Women's Leadership Fund, also on February 8.

Another side event, on unlocking the full potential of Africa's blue economy, a continental strategy for joint action, will also take place on the margins of the summit, the statement said.

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will hold the 3rd edition of the African Business Forum a day after the summit, on February 11.