Kigali, 3 October 2011

President Kagame and Mrs Kagame today paid their last respects to the late Christine Nyatanyi, Minister of State in charge of Social Affairs in the Ministry of Local Government, , who passed away last week in Belgium, after long illness.

Speaking at Parliament where the late minister’s body lay in state, President Kagame said the entire nation was united in grief with the family of Hon. Nyatanyi, who he described as a dedicated leader who had served the nation with diligence and dedication.“Minister Nyatanyi will be remembered by everyone for her service to the nation. She was fully aware that whatever she was doing was for her country and on her own behalf”.

Hon. Nyatanyi’s body was laid to rest at the Rusororo Cemetery in Gasabo District.

New York, 22 September 2011

President Kagame on September 22 addressed the annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting, calling on countries to scale up efforts to empower women. President Kagame was part of the panel that discussed global women empowerment under the theme: “Girls and Women: Scaling up what works”.

Calling on leaders from all sectors to embrace women empowerment to ensure that a balance in gender exists, President Kagame said: “The onus is on those who have been privileged in the past; men and boys, to make sure that we address this problem of imbalance. It is not that boys and men are doing a favour to women, it’s just about making sure that they work together to play their part in their own development and development of the country”.

President Kagame also addressed the session themed: “Engaging Boys and Men as Allies for Long Term Change” alongside other high profile panelists like Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Muhammad Yunis, International Director of Instituto Promundo, and Gary Barker, Chief Executive Officer of Roshan Karim Khoja. The panel was moderated by the Former President of the Republic of Chile, Michele Bachelet.

New York, 21 September 2011

President Kagame on September 21 addressed the 66th United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York, under the theme: The need for world leaders to deliver on the promise of sustainable development. President Paul Kagame called on members of the United Nations to take individual responsibility for the achievement of sustainable development.

In his address, President Kagame said: “The most viable option for preventing conflict is to empower our citizens economically, politically and socially, especially the youth…they are the thought leaders not only of tomorrow but right now…it is our responsibility to empower them to believe in themselves and a better future”.

The President also emphasized the significance of homegrown solutions to address local challenges by stating that: “Long lasting solutions emanate from within…external mediation experts, even with good intentions, do not often bring change at the root level. Mediation needs to be based on bringing conflicting parties to resolve differences not on imposing solutions in the interest of the mediators”.

New York, 20 September 2011

President Kagame chaired the MDGs Advocacy Group, gathered to examine the Advocacy Action Plan that will be implemented in the coming year.

President Kagame expressed the need for all agencies to prioritize coordination with local actors, to ensure the sustainability of all MDGs achievements. President Kagame added that the MDGs are not solely about the interest of developing nations: “MDGs are about focusing on continued growth for the development of countries. The advocacy is not a charity proposal; it is in self enlightened interest. It means supporting the poor who have huge potential that is already visible, in terms of continued growth”.

Convened by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, this group brings together advocacy individuals from different fields who have led by example in the implementation of the MDGs. Deputy Secretary General Ashor Rose Migiro said during the meeting: “this group’s efforts are aimed at ensuring that all people live a dignified life in a just and equitable world”.

New York, 18 September 2011

President Kagame chaired the second Presidential Advisory Council meeting of the year in New York. PAC members discussed policy responses to the impact of US Debt Crisis, and international oil and food prices on the Rwandan Economy. PAC members also looked into how Rwanda can harness social media to enhance development. Three new members were appointed to the council; renowned journalist Andrew Mwenda, senior bank executive Rod Reynolds and the Governor of Rwanda’s Central Bank, Claver Gatete.

Governor Gatete, said that policy measures take have been successful in minimizing the effects of the debt crisis in the US and Europe, on the Rwandan economy. Professor Michael Porter from Harvard University pointed out that current policies that ensure economic stability have long been established and Rwanda continues to be on the right track to sustainable development and strategic economic advantage.