Rwanda marks 60th anniversary of membership in the United Nations

The Government of Rwanda and the United Nations (UN) will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the country’s membership in the UN under the theme, “Partnering for a Better, Shared Future for All”. The official celebration will take place on Monday, 24 October 2022 in Kigali to mark the anniversary, and fruit trees will be planted during Umuganda in Huye and Musanze Districts, and in Kigali, on Saturday, 29 October 2022. These events serve as an opportunity to reflect on the success stories and lessons learned from the partnership between Rwanda and the UN.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Vincent Biruta said: “We commend the UN for its support to our country and for spearheading multilateralism efforts and global cooperation. Rwanda remains committed to our partnership in addressing common challenges in diverse areas including socio-economic development, gender equality, peacekeeping, refugees’ rights protection, climate change, and much more. The world needs consistent and effective collaboration among countries, and Rwanda will always play its role.”

The UN Resident Coordinator Ozonnia Matthew Ojiel said: “The UN extends its 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 of this country – leaving no one behind. We reaffirm the UN’s collective commitment and pledge cooperation and support in all forms to address shared objectives grounded on the UN Charter.”

Rwanda is one of the biggest contributors to the UN peacekeeping missions with over 5,000 military and police personnel deployed in different countries. Rwanda is also among the African countries that achieved Millennium Development Goals and is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Rwanda was admitted as a member to the UN on 18 September 1962, following the adoption of security council resolution A_RES_1748(XVII) in July of the same year. Since then, the Government of Rwanda has partnered with the UN across a broad range of thematic areas in order to pursue its sustainable development goals: from agriculture to youth employment, numerous activities have contributed to the social, political, and economic transformation of Rwanda in the last 60 years. (End).