Position paper for Rwanda
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Rwanda takes into account the growing importance of outer space for
communication, development, and security. However, the increasing risks of
weaponization, debris in the atmosphere, and careless activities threaten the peaceful use
of space. The Republic of Rwanda emphasizes that outer space must stay a globally open
space dedicated to conflict-free intentions and sustainable development. We support the
development of international norms and rules that strengthen clarity, promote
international communication, and prevent harmful interference with space assets. The
Republic of Rwanda requests for discussion within the United Nations to establish binding
and non-binding tools that ensure accountability and cooperation.
The Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, highlighted the revolutionary impact that space technology holds on divisions like agriculture, healthcare, communication, and transportation. She states, “...in an era where space technologies are revolutionizing various sectors, it is crucial that we harness the potential of space for the betterment of our society” in this, she is stressing the importance of the use of space technology’s potential to catapult societal advancements. Our Rwandan Space Agency recognizes, and seeks to address a gap in satellite ground infrastructure. Guided by the development of our satellite ground station, along with teleport, which are both capable of supporting space expeditions to the moon. These initiatives present our determination to become a regional center for innovation and sustainable space research. As an emerging space nation, The Republic of Rwanda draws attention to increasing responsible behavior in line with the principles of equity, inclusivity, and the Sustainable Development Goals. With development to the space division, it can lead to a lump sum of socio-economic development. We invite Member States to prioritize peaceful collaboration, technological sharing, and responsible behavior to protect and defend outer space for present and future generations. Through these efforts, we anticipate a future where space exploration will directly contribute to global unity and good. | |
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Rwanda acknowledges the intense threat created by the illicit trade in
small arms and light weapons (SALW) for peace, stability, and prosperity for all. The
uncontrolled spread of SALW fuels terrorism, organized massacre, crime, and undermines
the security of a nation/state. The Rwandan Genocide of 1994, and its nearly one million
casualties represents the extreme consequences that may occur when dangerous
weapons end up in the wrong hands.
In the interest of cooperation and longing for peaceful and stable nations, The Republic of Rwanda is committed to stopping illegal and unnecessary trade of small arms and light weapons. We strongly support the United Nations Programme of Action (PoA) aimed to prevent and combat SALW’s. The PoA creates a comprehensive framework for international cooperation and acknowledgement of SALW’s. Ultimately, aimed to eradicate the illicit trade in all aspects. Additionally, The Republic of Rwanda firmly supports the International Tracing Instruments (ITI) introduced by the United Nations. Including thorough background checks regarding the intent for SALW’s before distributing them to private groups or nation states. As well as, specific stampings on SALW’s to more efficiently monitor and trace the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Universal stamping includes manufacturing country, company, issue date, tag signifying the amount of weapons produced, and any other necessary stampings. While recognizing some of the roots of the problem, including but not limited to poverty, weak borders, and fragile governance. The Republic of Rwanda urges other nations to adopt efficient solutions to the issue of SALW’s. For instance, joining ongoing movements combating SALW’s, monitoring SALW’s manufacturing, and tracing the illicit trade of SALW’s. The Republic of Rwanda is excited to collaborate internationally to maintain peace and protect all from SALW’s. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence |
| Paper text: | |
| In recent centuries, nations across the world have become more interconnected because
of trade and advancements in technology. This process has become known as
globalization. Globalization has resulted in some countries getting significantly wealthier.
However, it is important to note that the growth has not been evenly distributed, and a lot
of countries are still facing significant challenges in terms of development, especially
related to implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Many countries
are in need of more support from the United Nations and its wealthier member states.
Since its founding eighty years ago, the United Nations has been leading the way on promoting a global role in the development of countries all around the world. In the late 1940’s, the UN began the technical assistance for economic development program, to provide resources to states in order to help them implement economic-related development. In the 1960s, the United Nations declared it a United Nations Development Decade, and after the 60s ended, they still hadn’t made all too much progress on Development, so they declared the 1970s to be the second United Nations Development Decade. In the 1980s, the United Nations declared that development was a human right. They were trying to get states to work together and be less protectionist in their trade policies, so that less developed countries would have fewer economic barriers to entry. In more recent years, the United Nations has been promoting development by setting concrete goals for member states to achieve. They first did this through the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, and now through the Sustainable Development Goals, which are a set of goals covering 17 different areas where development is needed around the world. These goals are meant to be reached by the year 2030. We, the representatives of the Republic of Rwanda, would like to recognize the fantastic progress that we have made on development over the past 30 years. The Republic of Rwanda may be the most tech friendly country in Africa because of our Kigali Innovation City, which hosts many new technology startups. We also note the fact that we cut poverty in half over a period of about 20 years. All of this all happened under the leadership of our great president Paul Kagame. We understand that the Republic of Rwanda still has some work to do with regards to development. We have some goals that our president Paul Kagame calls Vision 2050. If we are successful in reaching these goals, then Rwanda will become a high income country within the next quarter of a century. We are focused on important aspects like income growth, improvements to quality of life, and sustainability. We call on the World Bank to increase loans to less developed countries so that they are able to achieve a healthy rate of development. We also thank China for their support in development efforts so far, and we urge them to increase the size of their wonderful Belt & Road Initiative, which is funding so much infrastructure development around the world. Finally, we recommend that the United States reimplements the foreign assistance programs that it has cut, hurting many less developed countries around the world. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind |
| Paper text: | |
| Climate change is one of the most urgent challenges facing the international community,
yet responses remain fragmented. Some nations devote disproportionate resources to
climate action at the expense of other domestic needs, while others fail to take significant
action, leaving their populations vulnerable. This disparity threatens natural landscapes
and endangers both present and future generations. The Republic of Rwanda is a small
landlocked nation-state in East Africa that recognizes the need to confront the global
climate crisis with balanced and decisive action. Though the Republic of Rwanda once
struggled to establish strong environmental protections during its colonial period, under
the leadership of President Paul Kagame since 2000, the Republic of Rwanda has
transformed into a regional powerhouse in environmental sustainability, determined to
preserve our “land of a thousand hills.”
Since the beginning of our President’s reign, our nation has seen changes to make the Republic of Rwanda the environmental powerhouse of Africa. We are doing this by implementing policies and amending our constitution to prevent further damage to our unique ecosystem and by preventing further humanitarian damages to be done on our populations as time persists. In 2003, our Constitution was revised to enshrine environmental rights and duties, guaranteeing citizens the right to a clean and healthy environment (Article 22) and affirming the shared responsibility of citizens to safeguard and promote environmental sustainability (Article 53). The Republic of Rwanda has implemented a nationwide ban on plastic bags, established the Republic of Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) to support eco-friendly infrastructure and sustainable agriculture, and pledged through our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2050. These initiatives reflect the Republic of Rwanda’s belief that climate resilience must be achieved not only through domestic policy, but also through global cooperation. As a global call to act, the Republic of Rwanda appeals to the international community to commit to a greater investment in green infrastructure, expanding on environmental rights for all citizens, pledging that member-states will expand on their interests in combating the climate crisis on a global level, and promoting sustainable agriculture. This initiative would strengthen climate finance mechanisms and reinforce citizens’ environmental rights. As affirmed by the July 22, 2022 UN Resolution, “all persons have the right to a clean and healthy environment.” Investing in technological innovation would enable Global South member-states to develop a strategic plan for their present and future populations to live in a clean and healthy environment. Such efforts reinforce the recognition of environmental justice as a universal right and a shared global responsibility. The Republic of Rwanda stands ready to cooperate with fellow member- states to advance meaningful solutions to the global climate crisis, ensuring that both people in the present and future live in a clean environment and have an environment to protect for generations to come. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Universal realization of the right of peoples to self-determination |
| Paper text: | |
| Rwanda stands firmly with the people's right to self-determination. Being rooted in the
concept of freedom and autonomy, which enables individuals to establish their own identity,
principles, and future. Based on the grievances of our past, we firmly believe we should push
for diversity, not only in our political field, but in our nation and people as well. However, we
will not tolerate opposition to our government. Our first concern is the safety and freedom
of our citizens, and we will not allow any disruption of the unity that has taken many years to
establish. We are strong because we are united, we choose to create bridges rather than
walls, and we stand together in spite of conflict. Along with the “One UN” initiative, we
support the role the UN has taken in rebuilding and helping fund improvements in Rwanda.
We stand behind a position of peace and prosperity for our nation, one centered around the
unity of our citizens.
Rwanda calls for the respect of culture and history in our journey towards democracy. We will continue to push for the prosperity of democracy as we have accepted the efforts of the UN in funding media outlets and other programs to keep the best interests of the Rwandan people and its government. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Improvement of the situation of women and girls in rural areas |
| Paper text: | |
| Having adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW), Rwanda emphasizes the need for women and girls to be recognized in
rural settings. Despite being the backbone of family care and agriculture in many rural
communities, women's efforts are not acknowledged, and they are not included in decision-
making processes. Giving women equal access to land, resources, and training is essential to
ensuring gender equality in these fields since it enhances not just their individual livelihoods
but also the well-being of entire communities. Rural communities can see more social
advancement, economic growth, and long-term sustainability when men and women have
equal opportunity to lead and contribute. Rwanda has been working to close the gender
gaps in both urban and rural areas, to strengthen communities, especially in the agricultural
field, since around 70% of women work in this field. Rwanda supports projects backed by the
UN World Food Programme that call for the education of women in business skills for the
agricultural sphere. Along with the UN, we emphasize the need for support groups for
women that break down barriers but keep our traditional views in mind as well. We also
strive for the continued integration of women and girls in education, especially in rural
areas, since education needs to be more accessible to them.
Rwanda would like to continue by supporting the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development agenda in empowering women and girls in rural areas. We have made progress so far in including women in the UN Joint Program on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment, which has benefited them in strengthening rural income. The health, education, and safety of both women and girls in these areas should clearly be maintained as a priority as well through this agenda. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Our ocean, our future, our responsibility |
| Paper text: | |
| The beauty of the ocean is unmatched and is something that needs to be preserved. Our
oceans cover three fourths of this planet we all call home and make up 97% of all the
water that covers our planet. We were given this earth from our ancestors, and who are
we to not give the next generations what was once handed down to us. We also recognize
the essential role that our oceans play in regulating the environment, from absorbing
around 23% of CO2 emissions yearly, to providing a habitat for aquatic creatures. We
personally find it unacceptable that anywhere from 5 to 12 million tons of waste
unnecessarily enters our oceans yearly.
The United Nations has often focused on Environmental Protection while keeping the needs of developing nations in mind. One focus of the UN in these aspects is seen in the 14th goal of the Sustainable Development, Life Below Water. With the UN making this a priority, actions have been taken to try to stop the worsening of the crisis in our oceans. Many Resolutions have been introduced that aim to save our oceans, one being the Marine Biodiversity Treaty which aims to protect marine biodiversity in shared aquatic habitats. The UN additionally has begun holding the UN Oceans Conference as a way to continue discussion and negotiations on what further actions must be taken. The Republic of Rwanda believes that we must all work together to save our oceans. We have been leaders in environmental action for generations and have seen what comes of a country when it ignores its environment to focus on lesser issues. This was, and still is, the most dire issue that is affecting our country since the Genocide that ravaged our nation. We have taken actions in recent history to try to restore our environment to much of a success. We want nations to take responsibility for the oceans that affect us all. We believe that this can be done through the widespread acceptance of single-use plastic bans like those that have been implemented in our Country. This ban will help reduce plastics that have entered our oceans, so as time goes on, these plastics don’t continue to ravage aquatic life in the oceans at an increased rate. We are also open to other proposals that will implement policy for all UN countries to follow. Of course, only if proper data and science can support these policies, showing that they will indeed be effective. We are excited to participate in this discussion and help in any way we can. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations |
| Paper text: | |
| We are at a point in history in which conflict and mass unrest are riddling our world,
leading to an unacceptable amount of human suffering and displacement. In the 2020s
alone, there have been hundreds of thousands killed in conflict, along with millions
displaced, injured, and abused. As wars wage on between people groups and countries
around the globe – such as conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan – it is of utmost
importance that the international community remain hyperaware of these humanitarian
crises, and willing to work together to extend help to those in need.
The importance of human life is undeniable, and the United Nations has the wherewithal to help alleviate human suffering, so long as member states remain diligent in supplying funds and personnel to UN Missions. The United Nations has shown a growing attempt in providing humanitarian assistance, strengthening these undertakings through means such as UN peacekeeping operations. Our country first started contributing to this cause in May of 2005 with the deployment of one military observer to the UN Mission in Sudan. We are now the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, providing almost 6,000 personnel to missions that have protection-of-civilian mandates. We have had our fair share of disaster, and the human suffering and loss of life within our history weighs heavily on all of our hearts. The 1994 genocide claimed the lives of over one million people, and up to 250,000 women suffered rape. We will not forget, and we will not just stand by. Knowing too well the pain of such a disaster and the difficulty of putting such a tragedy to an end without sufficient international aid, we strongly support the notion of strengthening humanitarian assistance to those throughout the world in the most dire circumstances. Humanity continues to be ravaged by prolonged and messy wars worldwide, along with natural disaster and disease. We are still living in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic that claimed (and continues to claim) over 7 million deaths worldwide, and communities around the world are decimated by environmental catastrophes such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and floods. In a world filled with humanitarian crises, we all must band together and strengthen our coordination in order to offer assistance to people in need. There must be systems in place so that coordination happens more rapidly, greatly improving our preparedness and readiness for these situations. | |
| Committee: | HSC-1994 |
| Topic: | Peacekeeping and the United Nations |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Rwanda is highly concerned with the ongoing conflict between our
established government and the rebel insurgents of the Rwandan Patriotic Force (RPF).
Amid this chaos, we want to reassure the international community that our priorities lie
with the well-being of our citizens. Thus, we appreciate the Security Council’s efforts to
ensure this conflict does not escalate to involve other state actors. The nature of the war
changing in this aspect would certainly put more Rwandan lives at risk. In this regard, we
support the United Nations Observer Mission (in) Uganda-Rwanda (UNOMUR).
Furthermore, we request that the Security Council oversee United Nations Assistance
Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) peacekeepers in a manner that keeps their actions neutral,
so as to respect the nature of the peace accords that brought them to Rwanda in the first
place. The Republic of Rwanda does not wish to see these peacekeepers used as RPF
auxiliary troops.
We wish to emphasize to the international community that this is an ethnic civil war perpetrated by a once-ruling-minority-group. To alleviate the economic, social, and political pressures this war has put on our country, the Republic of Rwanda, mainly recognized by the National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND), has agreed with the Rwandan Patriotic Force (RPF) to a joint ceasefire, mediated by Tanzania, and conceived in Arusha. The Republic of Rwanda welcomes this ceasefire and the end of RPF aggression, which has caused the displacement of nearly one million Rwandan citizens. The Republic of Rwanda sees this ceasefire as a perfect means to deal with intrastate conflict as long as UNAMIR troops remain neutral. As the vote to renew UNAMIR approaches (set for April 1994), the Republic of Rwanda and other Security Council members must reconcile the changing role of the Security Council. From 1988 to 1994, the number of peacekeepers on mission increased by 7.5 times the original figure. This drastic increase signifies the expansion of the Security Council’s jurisprudence in international affairs, whether it was warranted or not. As a country in active conflict playing host to multiple peacekeeping missions, we ask that Member-States of the Security Council carefully consider the sovereignty and rights of Nation-States involved in conflicts where peacekeeping missions are present. The Republic of Rwanda sees the pathway to peace; therefore, we request that the Security Council not renew UNAMIR in April. | |
| Committee: | HSC-1994 |
| Topic: | Rwandan Genocide |
| Paper text: | |
| The Republic of Rwanda stands before the international community burdened by a history of deep ethnic divisions between the Hutu and the Tutsi, and tragic violence that has recently escalated into full-blown genocide. Our nation has long struggled under tensions between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority, tensions that were amplified by decades of colonialism under Belgian rule, and post-independence political instability. Since the early 1990s, Rwanda has endured a brutal civil war, sparked by the invasion of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which has worsened internal divisions and left countless civilians displaced. Despite our efforts to pursue peace through the Arusha Accords of 1993, violence and distrust have continued to spread. On April 6, 1994, the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana and the Burundian President marked a catastrophic turning point in this conflict, unleashing waves of mass killings across the country. What followed was a systematic campaign of slaughter, targeting Tutsis and moderate Hutus, carried out with alarming speed and coordination. In mere months, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, and entire communities have been destroyed by this senseless violence. Our government, overwhelmed by internal chaos and the militias, has failed to halt the atrocities or maintain order. Meanwhile, the international community has largely stood by during this crisis, withdrawing peacekeeping forces rather than reinforcing them, ultimately leaving Rwanda abandoned in our darkest hour. As of today in 1994, Rwanda faces a crisis that threatens not only the survival of our people but the very future of our nation and our leadership, and we appeal urgently to the U.N. for recognition, action, and support. | |
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