60 YEARS OF RWANDA IN THE UN: CELEBRATING THE JOURNEY, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Rwanda was officially admitted as a member into the United Nations (UN) in 1962. Since then, the Government of Rwanda (GoR) has partnered with the UN across diverse fields contributing to Rwanda’s development goals - through interventions and joint programmes that have contributed to the social, political, and economic transformation of the country over the past six decades.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Rwanda’s membership into the United Nations, the GoR through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the UN system hosted a high-level event, under the theme, “Partnering for a Better, Shared Future for All.” The event was attended by UN representatives, government officials, diplomatic corps, CSOs, and private sector, and showcased a photo gallery allowing attendees to appreciate historical and current collaborative development work of the GoR and the UN to address challenges in the areas of socio-economic development, gender equality, peacekeeping, and climate change.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Vincent Biruta

commended the UN for its support to the country and for spearheading multilateralism and global cooperation. He reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to the partnership in addressing common challenges in diverse areas.

On his part, the Resident Coordinator (RC) to UN Rwanda, Mr. Ozonnia Ojielo

extended the UN’s sincere appreciation to the Government and the people of Rwanda for the support and continued commitment to work closely for the benefit of the people – leaving no one behind. He reaffirmed the UN's collective commitment and pledged cooperation and support in all forms to address shared objectives grounded on the UN Charter.

The event was a testament to the success of Rwanda’s partnership with the UN, and the positive impact the cooperation has contributed. Here are some of the key achievements that were highlighted:

• Enhanced opportunities for women and girls and continuing to remove barriers to their progress, thus contributing to gender parity.
• Improved health outcomes for the citizens through universal health coverage and the COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery efforts taken in collaboration by the UN and the GoR.
• Better agronomic practices, better access to seeds and better access to the technology that is needed to adapt agriculture to climate change, while growing more nutritious and abundant food supplies supported jointly by UN and GoR through programming and policy.
• The strong partnership that exists between the GoR and UN has also been catalytic in promoting opportunities and jobs for young people through initiatives that include: The Generation Unlimited, iaccelarator, YouthConnekt, ConnectedGirls.

As the UN continues to support the GoR in its efforts to achieve the SDGs, the partnership will continue to have a positive impact on the country’s progress and development.

More about the event here