Last week, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, visited Rwanda in a joint mission with the UN-Habitat youth team, on a three-day mission that included meetings with high-level Government officials, the UN Country Team, as well as youth representatives aiming at getting first-hand information and assess the situation of youth in Rwanda.

In a meeting with H.E. Anastase Murekezi, Prime Minister of Rwanda, and H.E. Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Minister of Youth and ICT, the Envoy discussed the status of youth policy and the government’s efforts in youth development. The Envoy discussed the new youth policy that has been tabled for a Parliamentary consultation and is scheduled for adoption later this year. The Envoy called for the youth policy to be checked against the Baku Principles for Youth Policies and stressed the importance of expediting the process of turning the policy to action plans.

“Twenty years after the end of the civil war, Rwanda has made remarkable progress, including with regards to Millennium Development Goal 4 on child survival and MDG 5 on maternal health. It’s therefore importance to leverage these impressive achievements by investing in young people so that they can reach their full potential and thereby contribute to the country’s further development.” Alhendawi stressed during a press conference after his meeting with the Prime Minister.

Young people under 35 years old represent nearly 80 per cent of Rwanda’s population. Over the past two decades, since the country came out of a horrific genocide, the Country has nearly doubled its population and it is projected to double again within the next 20 years, if current fertility trends continue.

The Envoy also met with the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Lamin Manneh, and a full house of representatives of the UN agencies in Rwanda. The meeting focused on discussing the potential areas for collaboration in youth issues. The Envoy acknowledged the important work done by the UN country team as a Delivering-as-One Country, highlighting the importance of the mobilizing more resources for the newly developed joint program on youth. In turn, Mr. Lamin Manneh assured the Envoy that the UN team in Rwanda will strengthen its commitment to youth by establishing a youth task force and will join the Envoy’s initiative by establishing a youth advisory board for the UN in Rwanda.

 

Alhendawi and his delegation visited two One Stop Youth Centres, one in Kimisagara, an informal settlement in Kigali, and in the Rubavu district close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. These pioneer centers offer a variety of services to youth, including ICT, vocational training opportunities, sports, as well as health education, HIV testing and counseling. During his visits the Envoy received hands-on information on how Rwanda is scaling up the One Stop Youth Center model that was developed initially by UN-Habitat to empower young people. During the visit, the Envoy inaugurated the Vision Jeunnesse Nouvelle Youth Center’s new addition of a radio and sound studio that will be at the disposal of young people.

Minister Nsengimana and Mr. Alhendawi visited Kigali’s K-LAB where they joined youth representatives from the national and district youth councils, as well as current and former UN youth delegates and other youth organizations. The Envoy addressed the participants at an interactive session that focused on the concerns and aspirations of Rwandan youth.

The Envoy’s visit included a stop at the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 45.000 people are said to cross on foot every day, the majority of which are young people.

Celebrating Mandela Day’s #67minutes campaign, the Envoy volunteered at a special Youth Community Work “Umuganda” which brings together local communities on a monthly basis to engage in voluntary work that contributes to their community’s development. The Envoy participated in the clearing of a field that will be used for sports activities. “You are not only the future, you are the present and this country relies on you and on your contributions to help build this country further” Alhendawi stressed in his remarks at the activity.

During his mission, Mr. Alhendawi also visited a UNFPA/UNICEF supported district health center which provides dedicated sexual and reproductive health services to young people, including maternal health and HIV testing, treatment and care, and offers them a safe space to protect their privacy.

At the end of his official visit, the Envoy paid his respect to the victims buried in the mass graves at this site of the Rwandan Genocide Memorial Center. Deeply moved by the enormity of violence that had been perpetrated against a range of Rwanda’s people, Tutsis, Twa, moderate Hutus and others, Mr. Alhendawi expressed his sincere hope that the international community will never forget the collective failure to prevent the Rwandan genocide and for Rwandans to continue advancing on the path of peace, development and prosperity.