Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

The finding comes from the UN80 Initiative Mandate Implementation Review, a comprehensive system-wide stocktake released ahead of the UN’s 80th anniversary.

According to the report, of the more than 1,100 reports produced by the UN Secretariat in 2024, nearly 65 percent were downloaded fewer than 2,000 times. One in ten reports had fewer than 1,000 downloads. Only the top five percent of reports were accessed more than 5,500 times, suggesting a wide disparity between the effort invested in report production and actual reader engagement.

“Download statistics alone are not proof of a report’s utility: important issues may not always find wide public leadership. But these figures are indication of a need for wider discussions when considering reports,” the report notes.

The United Nations Secretariat spent more than $360 million in 2024 on direct documentation services such as editing and translation, amounting to more than 10 percent of the organisation’s Regular Budget. When indirect costs such as research, drafting, clearance, and publication are included, the financial and time burden becomes even more significant.

Founded in the aftermath of World War II by the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and China, the United Nations was created to prevent future wars and foster international cooperation. With just 51 founding members in 1945, the organisation has since grown to include 193 member states and is mandated to promote peace and security, development, and human rights across the globe.

Reports are an essential part of mandate delivery, providing information and analysis that guide the work of the General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and Social Council. However, the internal review found that the volume and length of reports have ballooned over the past two decades.

In 2024, the average UN report contained over 11,000 words—40 percent longer than in 2005 and far above recommended limits. The report notes that this growth in length, combined with the rising number of mandates requiring regular reporting, has created an unsustainable information burden.

Moreover, many reports duplicate content across different UN bodies. For instance, recurring topics are often addressed separately for the General Assembly, ECOSOC, and the Human Rights Council, with limited coordination or content sharing. While meetings and reports remain critical to advancing the UN’s mission, the review warns that unchecked growth in both has diluted their value and diverted resources from on-the-ground action.

To address these challenges, the report proposes a set of reforms aimed at making reporting more impactful and manageable. These include streamlining requests for reports within mandates, reducing word counts, and combining similar reports into unified submissions where appropriate.

The report also recommends exploring new formats such as short updates, visual dashboards, and in-person briefings to better serve Member States’ decision-making needs. Additionally, the UN is encouraged to publish download statistics for all reports to promote greater accountability and help identify underused content.

The report is part of a broader push under the UN80 Initiative to enhance the relevance, agility, and accountability of the UN system. With five years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and growing pressure on international institutions to deliver measurable outcomes, Member States are calling for smarter and more strategic approaches to how mandates are created, delivered, and reviewed.

While the review does not single out specific bodies or member states, it points to a critical need to align administrative output with real-world results.

Some of the reports produced by the body have sparked criticism from various leaders over the years.

For instance, President Kagame has been critical of certain UN reports, particularly those from the UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He has accused them of presenting a biased narrative that places blame on Rwanda while ignoring the role of the FDLR militia, a group composed of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He has also stated that such reports hinder genuine solutions to the conflict in eastern DRC between the AFC/M23 rebel group and the Kinshasa administration.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking during a meeting with Secretary-General António Guterres at a BRICS summit last year, emphasised the need for UN reform to keep pace with global changes and to ensure greater representation for developing nations.

The incident is the latest in a disturbing pattern of abuse targeting lawmakers of colour in France.

The anonymous letter, delivered to her parliamentary office in the Palais Bourbon on July 11, questioned Abomangoli’s legitimacy as a Black woman holding high office. Her lawyer, Chirinne Ardakani, confirmed the complaint was filed on grounds of “insulting a person holding public authority, or alternatively, a public insult of a racist and sexist nature.”

The letter reportedly included inflammatory statements such as: “First Black woman vice-president – I get shivers of discomfort. Decolonialism does not make you legitimate,” and “A Black woman has no business in this role. Leave. You don’t belong here. Or anywhere.” The author, who signed as a white man named “Jourdain,” claimed he was more “deserving” of her position.

Ardakani condemned the letter as “outrageous, openly racist and sexist,” calling it a direct attack on Abomangoli’s dignity and the democratic mandate granted by the electorate. “These remarks deny Ms. Abomangoli the legitimacy to hold one of the highest institutional offices – solely based on her skin colour and gender,” she stated.

Abomangoli, who was born in Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo and immigrated to France as a child, is a member of the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party.

She represents the 10th constituency of Seine-Saint-Denis, a diverse working-class suburb northeast of Paris, and was elected to parliament in 2022. In 2024, she was re-elected and named one of six vice-presidents of the National Assembly, a historic appointment as one of the few Black women to ever hold such a senior role in French politics.

The incident adds to a growing list of racially motivated attacks against LFI lawmakers of colour. MPs Carlos Martens Bilongo and Aly Diouara have also reported frequent racist abuse. Diouara’s legal team recently announced that seven individuals will stand trial in December for harassing him online following his election.

In 2022, a far-right MP was suspended from parliament for making a racist remark about Bilongo. In an earlier incident in 2020, a right-wing magazine published a fictional story portraying Black MP Danièle Obono as a slave, sparking national outrage. And in 2013, then-Justice Minister Christiane Taubira was compared to a monkey in a headline by a far-right publication, a scandal that led to nationwide protests.

Abomangoli’s complaint, her lawyer noted, is not just about personal protection, but about defending the integrity of public institutions against “xenophobic and misogynistic stereotypes.”

“This is unquestionably intended to denigrate and stigmatise the vice-president – both for who she is and what she represents,” Ardakani said.

The French government has yet to issue a formal response to the latest incident, but pressure is mounting on authorities and political leaders to take stronger action against racial and gender-based political harassment.

In recent weeks, Tshisekedi signalled impending changes within his administration, prompting rumours about a possible dismissal of the Prime Minister. However, at a recent Union Sacrée (USN) coalition meeting, the President dispelled these reports, expressing full confidence in Suminwa’s leadership.

Tshisekedi also announced plans for a new government capped at 50 members, emphasising inclusivity. He stated that the upcoming cabinet would extend opportunities to political opposition, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to foster national unity and tackle persistent issues facing the country.

On 25 July 2025, Tshisekedi convened a Cabinet meeting where he thanked outgoing ministers for their service and wished success to those continuing in the new administration.

The outgoing government, comprising 54 members, faced criticism for uneven regional representation and the exclusion of political parties with parliamentary seats from government posts.

Gakenke Mayor Mukandayisenga Véstine made the announcement during a July 31, 2025, engagement with staff from the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA) and journalists. The visit was part of a broader cultural tour aimed at identifying and promoting sites with deep historical ties to Umuganura.

Huro Hill, located in Huro Village, Huro Cell, Muhondo Sector, formerly known as Bumbog, is the most prominent historical landmark in Gakenke tied to the Umuganura tradition.

Historical accounts indicate that Huro served as the residence of the Abiru ba Kwa Myaka, the royal ritual specialists tasked with preparing sacred seeds, particularly sorghum and millet, used in the national harvest ceremony.

At Huro, only the finest, untainted seeds were selected and ritually purified before being sent to the royal court for Umuganura. This tradition is the origin of the popular Rwandan saying “Ihuriro ni i Huro”, meaning “the gathering point is Huro,” emphasising the hill’s role as the central hub for both seeds and those who bore them.

Paulin Mudahinyuka, a 78-year-old elder from the area, recalled the meticulous seed selection practices of the past. He said that, traditionally, women were not allowed to handle the seeds during menstruation, a time considered one of ritual impurity in the customs.

“They were extremely meticulous,” he said. “Only perfect, germinable seeds were chosen, and no one touched them with bare hands. Even men used a special stick known as isando to avoid contamination.”

Once selected, the seeds were delivered to the king accompanied by traditional drums and imutsama beer, all presented as offerings for royal blessing and symbolic national unity.

Elder Mudahinyuka further recounted that during Umuganura celebrations, the King would arrive accompanied by the Chief of the Harvest Ceremony (Umuganuza Mukuru). Together, they would place their hands into a large ceremonial basket (igitenga) filled with sacred seeds and pour them onto the ground, symbolically signifying the King’s blessing over the nation’s agricultural season.

“Once the seeds touched Rwanda’s soil,” he explained, “it was understood that the King had officially offered the seeds to the nation.”

One of Huro Hill’s enduring historical landmarks is a centuries-old rain gauge known as Ivubiro, established by a royal meteorologist named Minyaruko ya Nyamikenke, a local leader of Busigi in the 16th century. He built it at the request of King Ruganzu II Ndori. The rain basin, still present today, is concealed in a bush and retains water even now.

This rain gauge was used by the Abiru royal agricultural seers of the Myaka lineage to predict rainfall patterns. If they foresaw a delayed rainy season, they would inform the King, who would then perform rituals to prompt an early downpour.

To further protect this heritage, Gakenke District Mayor, Mukandayisenga Véstine, revealed plans to compensate a resident whose land encompasses the historic site. The move will facilitate its formal conservation.

“We are in the process of valuing the land and compensating the owner so that we can fence off the area,” she said. “We’re also working with partners to potentially build a small heritage centre where today’s elders who may not be with us tomorrow can document and display these stories, possibly even in audiovisual form.”

The Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA) (Inteko y’Umuco) notes that its research has identified over 530 heritage sites nationwide. These require proper signage, preservation, and coordinated protection by multiple institutions.

Other culturally significant locations in Gakenke include Kabuye Hill, home to Iriba rya Nyirarucyaba (a sacred spring) and the King’s cave, along with Mbirima and Matovu in Coko Sector, which are associated with royal traditions, and Ibuye rya Bajyejye, a historical rock in Gakenke Town.