UN Rwanda Quarter 3 Newsletter "Turi Kumwe"

Esteemed Partners and Readers,

It is of great honour to have assumed my duties in the land of a thousand hills and join the United Nations team in Rwanda. Since my arrival, I have had the privilege to engage with counterparts from the Government of Rwanda (GoR), Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations, Private Sector, Academia, and UN Agencies.

This has given me the opportunity to appreciate the excellent collective work that was already achieved under the leadership of my predecessor; Mr. Fodé Ndiaye and to strategize and build from where he left, for the benefit of the people of this country – leaving no one behind. On behalf of the UN Country Team (UNCT), I wish to thank Fode for his services to Rwanda and the UN in the past five years, and to wish him well in his retirement.

This UN Quarter 3 Newsletter (covering July, August, and September 2022) speaks to a number of achievements under the One UN in collaboration with Government, and other Partners. Together we have contributed to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, restoring hope for the refugees, empowering adolescents, and young people to make informed choices, building assets for sustainable food security, supporting local manufacturers in scaling up production of medicines and medical products, beginning the operationalization of the national response to climate change, and expanding digitalization and inclusion for the citizens. UN Rwanda had a productive discussion with the University of Rwanda to explore strategic partnerships and opportunities for engagement and collaboration, especially in developing policy responses to protracted development challenges.

The unfolding discussion and outcomes of this partnership will be shared in a subsequent Turi Kumwe publication. We also had several conversations with the Equity Group and Foundation (EGF) senior leadership, building on the existing collaboration of advancing the implementation of Agenda 2030 through scalable and sustainable programs. Six bankable projects have been prioritized for co-creation and/or reframing existing Joint Programmes.

Recognising the pivotal role of digital platforms and leveraging on Rwanda’s advanced internet connectivity and its vision of becoming an international conference hub, the UNCT decided to establish its online TV and Radio to collectively tap into the visits, presence and expertise of thousands of practitioners, investors, financiers and entrepreneurs who visit Rwanda for conferences or business, to share and communicate the knowledge gained from these conversations, learn new approaches to development implementation and explore opportunities for partnership.

During this quarter we ran demos by capturing key highlights of the following regional meetings - IUCN Africa Protected and Conserved Areas Congress (APAC): https://bit.ly/3DDa8rc, https://bit.ly/3t0xPVu and https://bit.ly/3sWNG7x. AGRA Africa Forum, International Parliamentary Union (IPU) Annual Conference: https://bit.ly/3fYlj62 and Gender Equality Seal recognition event among others: https://bit.ly/3GaEjsX. We also conducted video recordings of the SDG Lab training: https://bit.ly/3tnkjvl, https://bit.ly/3trD6G6, which was aimed at supporting the UNCT to unlock individual and collective leadership capacities for efficient and productive collaboration as a UN system to support the delivery of the National Strategy for Transformation (NST 1) and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. We are also happy to be telling our collective stories visually. Please visit our Flickr page at https://rb.gy/bqkxbf and Youtube channel at https://bit.ly/3XpjIHy for the compelling photos and videos that represent our journey and progress.

In recognition of our accountability obligation to the people of Rwanda, and to enhance the localization of the SDGs, the UNCT decided to host at least two monthly meetings in the field each year. The first such meeting will take place in October this year, and will be organized together with the Ministry of Youth and Culture in Huye district, Southern province. The next Turi Kumwe will report on the reflections from the visit.

In this edition, we bring you exciting voices from across various communities showcasing the impact of the UN’s work. More than the stories and numbers published quarterly in Turikumwe, there is a fundamental transformation happening in people's lives, communities, and institutions for the betterment of livelihoods and strengthening of institutional capacities. I commend you for playing your part; let us continue to do more!

Wishing you a good read.

Murakoze!