Author: Publisher

{Heavy rain that occurred yesterday in different regions of Rwanda has killed a number of people and destroyed infrastructures. Recent statistics shows at least 4 people were killed during a rain that last more than 7 hours.}

Only Kigali city counts 4 children who were killed by the rain yesterday.

Other sources say in Rubavu District 2 children were reportedly dead after several hours of rain and leaves traders complaining of no help from officials.

In Nyabugogo Parking which is a very busy part of Kigali, damage on the roads is extreme from yesterday’s rain.

IGIHE reporters are on the ground looking for more on this disaster

{With 2013 marked by a deterioration “beyond all imagination” in the Syrian conflict and the “imminent danger of mass atrocities” looming in the Central African Republic (CAR), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on world leaders to follow the example of the late South African President Nelson Mandela in making 2014 the year of protecting people. }

“I can think of nothing I would rather see in 2014 than for world leaders to emulate his example in upholding their moral and political responsibilities,” Mr. Ban said in his end-of-year news conference at United Nations Headquarters in New York, noting that 2013 will be remembered as the year in which the world bid a sad but celebratory farewell to the man who became South Africa’s first post-apartheid and democratically elected president with a message of reconciliation for all.

The Secretary-General devoted the first part of his opening statement to Syria, where over 100,000 people have been killed and 8 million driven from their homes, 2 million of them seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, since the conflict first erupted in March 2011 between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and initially peaceful opponents seeking to oust him.

“The people of Syria cannot afford another year, another month, even another day of brutality and destruction,” he said, telling reporters that he had just come from briefing the Security Council on final report of the mission led by Professor Ã…ke Sellström probing allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

“We should all be deeply concerned by its findings that chemical weapons were used not only in the August attack in Ghouta area of Damascus, but on several other occasions, including against civilians, the UN chief said, adding: “2013 was the year in which the Syrian conflict deteriorated beyond all imagination.”

Noting that he will soon issue invitations to the international conference on Syria to be held in Geneva on 22 January, he called on the Syrian parties to end the violence and provide humanitarian access and for States and organizations with influence on the Syrian sides to help them prepare for constructive engagement.

He stressed that the humanitarian situation continues to worsen. The UN has started distributing winter aid to help people cope with the harsh conditions that are taking hold, but faces “severe and chronic underfunding” for the relief effort, noting that the 2014 appeal for Syria launched today in Geneva is the biggest in UN history at $6.5 billion.

“I call for generous support, including at the pledging conference I will convene on 15 January in Kuwait,” he said, adding that 9.5 million Syrians, almost half the total population, have been affected by the crisis with most of the infrastructure, schools, sanitation facilities and hospitals destroyed.

Turning to CAR’s descent “into chaos” in 2013, Mr. Ban said: “I am gravely concerned about the imminent danger of mass atrocities. I call on the country’s transitional authorities to protect people. I appeal to religious and community leaders to prevent polarization.”

CAR has been thrown into turmoil since Séléka rebels launched attacks a year ago and forced President François Bozizé to flee in March. A transitional government has since been entrusted with restoring peace and paving the way for democratic elections, but armed clashes have erupted again and the transitional government is not functioning, Mr. Ban stressed.

Thousands of people have been killed and over 600,000 driven from their homes in a conflict that has become increasingly marked by inter-communal clashes between Christians and Moslem.

The UN will establish a commission of inquiry to investigate reports of atrocities. “Perpetrators must be held to account,” Mr. Ban said.

On the positive side of the balance sheet for 2013, the Secretary-General cited the “landmark” UN agreement on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme, the General Assembly’s adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, Member States’ agreement on a roadmap for shaping the post-2015 development agenda, and the interim agreement between Iran and the Security Council’s five Permanent Members and Germany on Iran’s nuclear programme.

He also noted that peacekeeping and mediation promoted stability across the Sahel and West Africa, and that heightened UN-World Bank cooperation in the region has mobilized political and financial support, including more than $8 billion in new pledges from the World Bank and European Union.

The military gains by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), supported by the UN peacekeeping mission there (MONUSCO), including its intervention brigade, and the parallel political agreement signed last week between the Congolese Government and M23 rebels also figure among the successes of 2013.

“I want this diplomatic momentum to carry over into the New Year,” Mr. Ban declared. “We must make 2014 the year of protecting people – their security, their fundamental rights, their basic well-being.”

He noted that the coming year will be a key period for difficult transitions in Afghanistan and the Arab world, urged Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to show “the leadership and foresight that will at long last produce a comprehensive peace agreement,” and appealed to Government s and the opposition in Ukraine and Thailand to act with restraint and refrain from violence.

Following the latest “dramatic developments” in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), in which leader Kim Jong-un’s uncle was executed for treason, Mr. Ban called on the country’s leadership to work towards the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to abide by global human rights norms.

“The year ahead will be crucial for development. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals by the end of 2015 means accelerating efforts now, especially on lagging goals like sanitation and maternal health,” he said referring to the eight targets set by the UN Millennium Summit of 2000 to slash poverty and hunger, reduce maternal and infant mortality and diseases and ensure universal access to health care and education.

“Agreeing on a new agenda and on a set of sustainable development goals requires intensified discussions. And reaching a climate agreement in 2015 means doing heavy lifting in 2014,” he added of the efforts to achieve a global accord to curb global warming gas emission and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Asked what lessons he has learnt in the seven years he has been Secretary-General, Mr. Ban stressed that the UN cannot carry out all the tasks and meet all the challenges facing it alone. “We need support from many regional and sub-regional organizations,” he said.

“We need support from business communities, we need support from religious communities and local communities and even philanthropic organizations, first of all, to solidify our political will.”

“Second, to mobilize our resources which are used as tools – if we do not have effective tools, how can we do it? That is why I have proposed to the General Assembly: let us have some more structured and effective way of mobilizing this support from all of the Member States and business communities and civil society. That is what I proposed in the form of a partnership facility. That is one very important lesson.”

UN

{{Parliament, 16 December 2013}}

We meet today so that we present to Rwandans, friends of Rwanda and our development partners the state of our nation over the past year. It is also an opportunity to convey best wishes for the New Year we are about to start.

First of all, we can take satisfaction that security and stability in our country continue to prevail. Rwandans are safe and secure wherever they are; go about their work freely throughout the country at any time of the day. Visitors both tourists and investors to Rwanda also recognise and appreciate the level of security in the country.

This is the same stability and security we wish for other countries as well. Rwanda’s stability gives us the ability to continue to work on building our nation and develop our economy, as this year’s figures indicate.

The first two quarters of this year show an economic growth of 6.6% and this figure is projected to increase. This rate is by all accounts high compared to other countries on the continent and even globally.

As you all know, we faced big challenges in 2012. Rwanda’s ability to achieve continuous growth despite these challenges is commendable and a sign of the strong economic foundation that is able to withstand challenges.

There is ample evidence for this. To begin with, by the end of November, export revenues grew to 489 million dollars – a 27.2% increase over last year. Moreover, most of the exports are from agriculture, a sector in which the majority of Rwandans are involved.

We are also pleased that the East African Commodities Exchange was launched this year, which will benefit farmers by providing a permanent market for their products.

Our mining sector continues to grow. In the first six months of this year, we registered 30 million dollars in mining revenue compared to 39 million dollars for the whole of 2012. Given this performance, we expect this year’s mining receipts will double.

Rwanda continues to attract significant investments. The World Bank Doing Business report ranked Rwanda second in Africa and 32nd globally, up from 52nd in 2012.

As you know, from our Eurobond offer, we received 400 million dollars, which was oversubscribed 8.2 times. This is proof of the trust Rwanda enjoys in global financial capital markets. Investment in the first six months of this year stood at 456 million dollars, compared to 538 million dollars for the whole of last year.

Tourism continues to be our top foreign exchange earner. Between January and October this year, Rwanda received over 714 visitors who brought in 217 million dollars into our economy marking 4% increase over 2012.

This year also saw growth in financial services by banks, SACCOs as well as other financial institutions. Between September 2012 and September 2013, bank deposits grew by almost 20% and loans granted increased by 13%.

The insurance industry expanded this year with new institutions entering the Rwandan market, resulting in a 22% increase in their assets.

Agriculture is projected to grow by 5.4% and remains a significant factor in economic growth. The quality of Rwandan tea and coffee continue to be recognised globally.

It is critical that we continue to increase agricultural productivity in the coming years and enhance value addition. We must also further develop the practice of rain harvesting to mitigate the effects of the dry seasons.

The Girinka programme continues to change the lives of many Rwandans. One hundred eighty four thousand cows have been distributed so far helping Rwandans lift themselves out of poverty and improving their nutritional needs.

The national electrification and water distribution programmes are progressing. However, the pace of these projects remains unsatisfactory. We have to intensify our efforts to ensure that all Rwandans have access to water and electricity.

Construction of new roads and rehabilitation of old ones that will boost local and regional trade is underway. It is on this note that we welcome cooperation between EAC nations to fastrack energy, infrastructure and related projects.

In education, we are encouraged by the increase in the number of students. This year, enrolment increased by 7% in Nursery and Primary schools and 6% in secondary schools.

At university level, the number of students increased from 76,629 last year, to 84,448 this year, equivalent to a 10% increase.

The Government continues to put a lot of emphasis on vocational training and the budget for vocational training went from 10.5 billion Rwf. to 30.5 Billion Rwf.

In the past year, the number of students attending vocational schools increased by 15% at secondary school level and 47% at tertiary level.

It is also worth noting that this year all public universities were merged to create one University of Rwanda. This is aimed at improving the quality of education, pooling and utilising university resources better and streamlining the planning of university education.

The Government of Rwanda will continue to focus on education because we recognise that education is one of the pillars that will help us attain the development that we want.

In the health sector, we are happy that the number of hospitals and health centres, as well as doctors and nurses working in them increased this year. Examples include Ruhango, Kinihira and Bushenge, which are already operational. High level health centres started operating this year in Kanyinya, Mageragere, Remera and Gatenga.

In terms of capacity building for doctors, the Rwanda Government has entered into a seven-year agreement with several American universities to teach and train Rwandan doctors. In addition to this, 50 doctors have gone for further training in various countries abroad, while 150 others are undertaking their training in Rwanda.

The number of women giving birth in hospitals has increased to 86% this year and the rate of women dying while giving birth has decreased significantly. Ninety five percent of children are immunised at least 12 diseases and child mortality for children under five continues to decrease. We must continue our efforts to ensure continued progress.

Due to Government efforts, in collaboration with concerned agencies, diseases that had become endemic such as malaria, tuberculosis and others have reduced significantly. For instance, deaths caused by malaria have reduced by 5.5%. Our aim is complete eradication of malaria so that no Rwandan should die from the disease.

Statistics show that 81% of Rwandans have access to health care. We must double our efforts to ensure universal access to health care for every Rwandan.

The justice sector in Rwanda continues to make steady progress. That is why the International community has shown confidence with the extradition of Rwandans who are suspected of committing crimes here so that they can be tried in our own courts. In addition, the European Court of Human Rights declared that the justice system in Rwanda is working well and meets international standards.

I am also pleased to say that an association of professional court bailiffs has been formed. There is no doubt that this is another important step in the development of our judicial system, and this association will be highly beneficial to all Rwandans. We must continue to increase our efforts to expedite court proceedings and maintain the progress we have made.

We cannot fail to mention that overall the state of Governance has improved in our country. Electing leaders at every level of leadership has now become part of our culture.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Rwandans for their high level of participation during the last parliamentary elections. The number of female Members of Parliament elected shows that women are taking an important part in the leadership and development of our country. As the future and the present of our nation, youth have also continued to be empowered.

We have to put more efforts into providing better services at all levels, with particular emphasis on the local level because that is where the population needs it most. Although we may be doing well compared to others, we should strive to do better. What we have achieved shows that we have the potential. I cannot end this address without reminding you all about two things:

The first is a reminder of our participation in different regional and international organisations. These partnerships will bring us great benefits on our path to development.

The second thing is that for us to be able to contribute to those international bodies as well as get some benefits ourselves, we as Rwandans always have to give ourselves value. That is the main purpose of the new initiative Ndi Umunyarwanda. Our support to this initiative remains important. It is the right path towards the development we seek to achieve.

Next year, we will be commemorating the Genocide for the 20th time and we will also celebrate our Liberation. They should both be remembered because they make us who we are and will give us the strength to accomplish even more.

In that respect, I would like to sincerely thank all Rwandans, as well as all our partners, for what we have achieved together in building our country. Together we have faced many difficult challenges and we overcame most of them. There is no doubt that with increased collaboration, unity and collective strength, we will reach many more of our goals in the coming years.

As I said at the beginning, I would like to wish all of you who are here, all Rwandans in general, as well as all of those who live in Rwanda, a happy new year 2014 and a happy end of 2013.

May it be a prosperous and fruitful year for you and your families.

Thank you, have a good evening and may God bless you.

{{Kigali, Rwanda, 19 December 2013}} – {“We have gained more confidence and knowledge with every summit” says Alex, 17 of the National Children’s forum during the pre-summit consultations. Since 2004, Rwanda has successfully organised National Children’s Summit to ensure meaningful child participation. As the summits evolved, children are gaining more confidence in expressing their opinions and dreams for the future of their nation. }

The 9th National Children’s Summit kicks off today – where 572 children representatives from all over the country are participating in a one day national consultative event simultaneously in all five provinces.

The representation considers the equity agenda too: children living with disabilities and those from refugee camps also participate in the forums and the national summit.

The children will be providing their contributions to the national priorities: programs and policies as well as influence decision making on issues affecting them.

The theme for this year’s summit is “Children and Self Reliance/Abana n’umuco wo kwigira”. Talking about the theme, Ms. Zaina Nyiramatama, Executive Secretary of National Commission for Children, said, “Self-reliance in children will be explored through the perspective of being responsible and hardworking by carrying out tasks appropriate to their age and adopting the culture of saving.

Children need to grow up to be responsible adults, should learn to feel, think, and act with respect for themselves and for other people. At an early age, they must pursue their own well-being, while also being considerate of the needs and feelings of others.”

UNICEF Rwanda is proud of how recommendations from children summits are integrated into the national and districts planning and implementation. “These forums are appreciated as it results in action. Children speak and Rwanda listens” said Ms. Noala Skinner, UNICEF Representative. “In the last Summit, the Rt. Honorable Prime Minister made a commitment that the summit recommendations would be considered in the planning of all public institutions at both national and district levels.” she added.

The National Children’s summit is organized by National Commission for Children in collaboration with Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion as well as provinces and Kigali City. International development partners that include UNICEF, Care International, Plan Rwanda and CHF International have provided support in terms of human resources and funds towards the organisation of the Children’s Summit.

“We are committed to keep on soliciting your views and opinions on national policies as well as other child rights protection interventions”, stated Ms. Gasinzigwa Oda, Honorable Minister for Gender and Family Promotion to children during the consultations.