From September 19th to September 26th, the annual United Nations General Assembly Meeting took place in New York under the theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all”.

A strong delegation from Rwanda, led by H.E., the President of the Republic, Paul Kagame, participated in multiple meetings and engagements. Here are some of the highlights:

On the margins of the General Assembly, a Heads of State and Government Summit gathered to review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provide high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to the target year of 2030 for achieving the Goals.

 President Kagame delivered Rwanda’s national statement on September 20. During his address, he emphasized the need for global cooperation, responsible financial governance, and efforts to address climate change and conflicts. The President also called for more effective global crisis management and representation for Africa in decision-making bodies.

As Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth, Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Vincent Biruta, chaired the 23rd Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM). The meeting discussed global challenges, innovative solutions, and the preparation of the next Commonwealth Head of State and Government Meeting scheduled for 2024 in Samoa.

During his stay in New York, Minister Biruta had several engagements to boost Rwanda’s diplomatic reach and increase its partnership with other countries. Among others, he held fruitful meetings with his counterparts from Malaysia, Finland, Bulgaria, Mali, the UAE, and Tunisia, as well as the High Commissioner for UNHCR and the EU Commission Special Representative/Vice President. In addition, Rwanda formalized diplomatic relations with Panama and El Salvador.

Minister Biruta also participated in a discussion on “Peacebuilding and sustaining peace in an era of geopolitical transition: the role of the United Nations Peacebuilding, where he emphasized the central role local communities play in building lasting peace.