United Nations agencies in Rwanda celebrate “UN Day” on 24 October

On Wednesday, 24 October this year, all United Nations agencies in Rwanda joined hands to celebrate “UN Day” in Kigali.

The very first UN day was celebrated on October 24th 1948, which renders this year’s celebration the 70th. 2018 also marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, thus the theme of this year’s celebrations.

UN Agencies in Rwanda, known as the “One UN in Rwanda” and invited guests took part in in various activities for this special day:

• Blood donation drive for Rwanda’s national blood bank;
• UN exhibition demonstrating each agency’s work in Rwanda;
• Recreational and sport activities for all staff. 

Although the global theme of UN Day 2018 is focused on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN in Rwanda shaped its celebration to align with the Rwandan context. UN Day activities in Rwanda promoted and boosted awareness of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is a notable priority of President Paul Kagame as Chairman of the African Union, and especially regarding his oversight of the African Union reform process.

Sports and recreational activities were held in line with Goal 3 of the SDGs which calls for good health and well-being for all, and demonstrated practical application of Goal 17 which highlights the importance of partnerships in development.

While delivering welcoming remarks, the UN Resident Coordinator in Rwanda Mr. Fode Ndiaye said that the UN Day is an opportunity for member states to celebrate the existence of the United Nations and showcase the impact the organization they formed 73 years ago is having at the country level.   

He added that UN Day provides an opportunity to pause for reflection on the contents of 3 key frameworks in the UN fabric: 

"You will notice a common thread in the three documents that form the background of this year’s UN Day celebrations: i) the founding UN Charter (1945);  ii) the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015), despite them having been developed several decades apart and certainly, most probably, by different people/generations" Mr. Ndiaye said. 

"The commonality of the three documents is their focus on people - embodying the hopes, dreams and aspirations of “we the peoples”; they call for protection of the planet from degradation including through sustainable consumption and production so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations and ensure prosperity for all human beings to enjoy fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature while promoting/furthering peace through fostering just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence and promoting dignity and equal enjoyment of the inalienable rights by all human beings." 

Speaking as the Guest of Honor representing the Government of Rwanda, Ms. Urujeni Bakuramutsa, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, hailed the existing strong collaboration between the Government of Rwanda and the One UN, and re-affirmed the government's committment to keep working with the UN as a key partner in Rwanda's path towards sustainable development.  

The One UN in Rwanda also hosted an evening reception at the Serena Hotel in Kigali for Government of Rwanda officials, Development Partners, Civil Society and Private Sector organizations among other key stakeholders.