Rwanda Deepens Diplomatic and Sector Engagements at UN General Assembly
NEW YORK — While the General Debate opened at United Nations Headquarters, Rwanda’s ministers used the first days of high-level week to lock in agreements, hold bilateral talks and put climate, digital and agricultural files on the table.
Foreign Minister Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe signed three instruments with Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey: a memorandum of understanding on political consultations, a memorandum establishing a joint commission for cooperation, and a framework agreement for cooperation.
The package is intended to regularise political dialogue and widen practical collaboration between Kigali and Lomé.
READ ALSO: Rwanda and Togo Seal Three Landmark Agreements to Deepen Bilateral Cooperation
The same round of meetings included Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina, and Melissa Parke, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. The discussion with Wilson covered implementation of the Washington Accords and cooperation on small modular reactors.
Nduhungirehe also took part in a high-level session, co-organised by the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations, on advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda in peace efforts for the Great Lakes region. He stressed the need for women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding and decision-making.
ICT and Innovation Minister Paula Musoni focused on digital markets and agricultural technology. At the GABI Solutions Lab session “One Barrier, One Bet,” she argued that Africa’s digital markets remain fragmented by differing rules, weak cross-border trust and gaps in interoperability of data, identity and payments — obstacles that limit the scale of artificial intelligence.
She pointed to Rwanda’s work on trusted, interoperable systems and called for solutions that work across borders rather than only inside single countries.
At a separate ATLAS Agricultural Transitions Lab roundtable, Musoni described how Rwanda is embedding AI in platforms already used by farmers, including e-Soko, Smart Nkunganire and the TUNGA Kinyarwanda voicebot. The discussion covered advisory services, climate resilience, crop and livestock health, market access and government decision-making, and the need to move from pilots to delivery models that can be scaled.
Environment Minister Bernadette Arakwiye announced Rwanda’s membership in the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security, framing it as support for farmers through climate-smart investment and partnerships. During Climate Week events tied to the Assembly, she set out national priorities on clean air, transport emissions, green investment and a climate-resilient economy.
Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva addressed the Global Africa Business Initiative’s “Unstoppable Africa 2026” gathering, speaking on Rwanda’s digital transformation and the role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in Africa’s economic future.
The ministerial track runs in parallel with Wednesday’s national statement in the General Assembly Hall. The official calendar that day also includes high-level meetings on the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development and on climate action and a just transition.
READ ALSO: Rwanda Prime Minister Leads Delegation as UN General Assembly High-Level Week Opens in New York
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