Prime Minister’s speech at the official opening of the 24th Interpol African Regional Conference
Participants at the Conference
Here is the speech delivered by Rwanda’s Prime Minister Dr. Edouard Ngirente during the opening of the 24th Interpol African Regional Conference on 5th February, 2019
Honourable Ministers, here present
Prof. Jürgen Stock, Secretary General of INTERPOL,
His Excellency John Mwangemo, High Commissioner of the Republic of Kenya to Rwanda, and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps,
Police Chiefs, here present,
Distinguished Heads of Delegations and Institutions,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning!
On behalf of His Excellency Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda, I am pleased to warmly welcome to Rwanda and wish a nice stay to all delegates attending this 24th INTERPOL African Regional Conference.
The Government of Rwanda wishes to recognise the entire leadership of INTERPOL, for having selected Rwanda as a venue of this important regional gathering. I would like to recall that in November 2015, Rwanda was also pleased to host the 84th Interpol General Assembly.
We thank INTERPOL for this continued trust. We, especially, commend INTERPOL for its outstanding cooperation with Rwanda and its commitment to make Africa and the world in general, a safe place.
As it has been mentioned, this conference is a right forum to discuss the continental security concerns, share experiences and discuss joint strategies to address common and emerging crime issues. As we all know, our continent, Africa, but also other continents, are today facing growing threats of organized crimes. A case in point is the recent series of terrorist attacks on innocent civilians in Somalia, Kenya, Mali and Nigeria.
Other security threats include those related to: illicit trafficking of drugs and pharmaceuticals; financial crimes and corruption; trafficking in human beings and cybercrimes.
These threats undermine the development of Africa but also constitute a violation of human rights. Human trafficking deprives thousands of people in Africa and elsewhere in the world of their fundamental freedoms.
Illicit financial flows out of Africa poses a significant threat to the developmental agenda of continent. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) estimates that illicit flows from Africa could be as much as 50 billion USD per year.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
To stop and prevent these threats, there is an urgent need for strong cooperation and comprehensive anti-crimes strategies among all countries. No single country can alone win this struggle. We need much stronger regional and international cooperation.
I therefore urge all participants in this regional conference to use it as an opportunity to set up new strategies and enforce existing ones on how INTERPOL can better support our respective countries in preventing and fighting crimes through enhanced cooperation and innovation on police and security matters.
By working together, with clear lines of communication, and capable police forces, we shall overcome these challenges.
Finally, I would like to thank once again INTERPOL for being a great partner that has facilitated our law enforcement in a spirit of positive collaboration. Rwanda wishes to reiterate its commitment to be a reliable partner of INTERPOL and to always support regional and international peace and security initiatives.
I thank the Rwanda National Police and Rwanda Investigation Bureau for their role in organizing this event. I also thank all delegates who traveled from near and far to attend this regional conference.
With these remarks, on behalf of His Excellency, Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda, it is my pleasure to declare the 24th INTERPOL African Regional Conference and Table Top Exercise “Cyber Tracks II” officially opened.
Thank you for your attention.
