New York, 21 January 2025 – Minister Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe, on a just concluded working visit to New York and Washington D.C., participated in a high-level debate of the UN Security Council hosted by Algeria during its Presidency of the Council. The event was centered around the theme:

"African-Led and Development-Focused Counter-Terrorism: Strengthening African Leadership and Implementation of Counter-Terrorism Initiatives."

In his statement during this high-level debate, Minister Nduhungirehe reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to promoting peace and stability across the African continent. He highlighted Rwanda’s active contribution in addressing the complex and persistent challenges posed by terrorism, emphasizing how terrorist groups exploit fragile governance, poverty, inequality, and unresolved conflicts.

Read the full statement here.

Watch the full statement here.

During his visit to New York, Minister Nduhungirehe also held a series of diplomatic engagements with high-level officials, including 9 Members of the UN Security Council - among which were 4 Ministers:

• Hon. Timothy Musa Kabba, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone;

• H.E. Ahmed Fiqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia;

• H.E. Ahmed Attaf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad of Algeria;

• Mr. Carlos Ruiz-Hernandez, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama;

• Amb. Fu Cong, Permanent Representative of China to the UN;

• Amb. Vasily Alekseyevich Nebenzya, Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN;

• Mr. Nicolas de Rivière, Permanent Representative of France  to the UN;

• Amb. Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN;

• Amb. Christina Markus Lassen, Permanent Representative of Danemark to the UN.

All these discussions aimed to advance bilateral ties and to discuss the security situation in Eastern DRC, as well as ways to advance the ongoing Luanda process.

Additionally, Minister Nduhungirehe met with H.E. Philemon Yang, President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly; Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs (UNDPPA); and  Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations.

In Washington D.C., Minister Nduhungirehe attended a cocktail reception co-hosted by the Embassy of Rwanda in the United States, in honour of the incoming U.S. administration. The event gathered key figures, Friends of Rwanda, members of Congress, U.S. officials, and diplomats, fostering continued collaboration and dialogue between Rwanda and the United States.