Bilateral Cooperation

The Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation thrives to ensure the promotion of bilateral cooperation with other countries all over the world. Rwanda engages other sovereign states with mutual respect between States; equality and complementarity; good neighborliness; respect of territorial integrity of other states; non interference in internal affairs of other countries; promotion and protection of mutual national interests.

Within the Ministry, the bilateral cooperation is carried out through three Directorates:

• Africa,
• Asia and Pacific, and
• Europe and Americas.

Multilateral Cooperation

Under multilateral cooperation, the Ministry ensures the promotion of multilateral cooperation between the Government of Rwanda and UN & International Development Agencies. Rwanda respects and fulfils its regional and international obligations. The country engages constructively with other nations around the world through regional and multilateral organisations (UN, AU, EAC, ECCAS, CEPGL …)

Integration and Rwanda’s broader international commitments:

• UN Security Council: Rwanda became a member of the United Nations on September 18, 1962 and became a member of the UN Security Council, the first time between 1994 and 1995. From April to July 1994, Rwanda was represented on the UN Security Council by the very same government that had planned and was carrying out the Genocide against the Tutsis. In 2013, Rwanda returned to the UN Security Council. During its tenure in the UN Security Council, Rwanda committed to the following:

• To Contribute meaningfully to the Prevention of conflict and the consolidation of peace and stability in Africa and globally;
• To Enhance partnership between the African Union, other regional and sub-regional organizations and the UN National in the maintenance of international peace and security;
• To Improve the working methods of the Security Council to ensure a more inclusive  transparent and effective Council;
• To Work towards a more responsible Security Council including through the implementation of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine;
• To End sexual violence and impunity;
• To Advance the role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding;
• Ensure sustainable transition from peacekeeping to national building in countries emerging from conflict.

Rwanda held chairmanship in two UN Security Council subsidiary bodies, mainly the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee and the Ad-Working group on conflict prevention in Africa, for the period of 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013. During the last year of its membership in the UN Security Council, Rwanda held the chairmanship of the Peacekeeping Working Group and the Chairmanship of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee.

• Peacekeeping operations

Rwanda is among the top five UN troop and police contributing countries in international peacekeeping missions. Ten years after stopping the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda deployed its first peacekeepers (155 soldiers), in August 2004, in Sudan to curtail the humanitarian catastrophe that was boiling in the western part of the Sudan – in Darfur.

• SDG Centre for Africa,

Rwanda serves as the host country for the SDG Centre for Africa.  

• Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS):

This Regional Economic Community that Rwanda re-joined in July 2016 will contribute to dealing with security threats in addition to the economic component. The 11 countries to fight threats and bring greater security in the region (genocidaires forces; human trafficking but also threats from extremist religious groups that try to recruit vulnerable people in many of our countries)

• Eastern African Community (EAC):

This community helps to foster economic development through regional projects to build infrastructure like roads that will un-lock Rwanda and offers less costly routes to export and import goods. EAC is one of the fastest growing regions in the world with registered average growth of 5-6% annually for the past decade; a total regional GDP of $100 billion and a population of 144 million people.

• Northern Corridor:

The Tripartite (Kenya, Rwanda & Uganda) Infrastructure Initiative became the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) with the inclusion of South Sudan who had graduated from observer status to active member. Each country created a special office to coordinate the Initiative. The Presidents committed to meeting every two months, thus taking direct control of the Initiative. Some of the projects include the Standard Gauge Railway, linking Mombasa Port to Kampala-Kigali-Juba between Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and Tanzania; Airspace Management between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda to strengthen collaboration among air space providers (airlines) in all areas: use of traffic routes, surveillance for increased security, efficiency for lower costs and fares for passengers

• Central Corridor:

The Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (TTFA) is a multilateral Agency established on 2nd September 2006, formed by an Agreement by the five Governments of the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), The Republic of Rwanda, The United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Uganda. - Roads, Railways, Waterways connecting Dar es Salaam Port to Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Eastern DRC. Rwanda and Tanzania launched a new modern Rusumo International bridge with the capacity of 400 tonnes in August 2014 replacing the old bridge that could only support 56 tonnes. The international bridge stretching 82 metres is meant to reduce traffic on the old bridge, which has been there for 40 years.