Rwanda has called for urgent reforms to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), insisting that Africa deserves a permanent seat to reflect its population size and growing role in international peace and security.
Delivering Rwanda’s statement at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) in New York on Thursday, September 25, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe said the council’s current composition is outdated and unjust.
“Africa is a 1.2 billion people-strong continent, where most of the conflicts on the Security Council’s agenda reside. Therefore, it cannot remain excluded from permanent membership,” he said, stressing that reform would make the UN more representative and credible.
The minister reaffirmed Rwanda’s strong support for multilateralism and highlighted Kigali’s readiness to host UN agencies as part of efforts to decentralize and strengthen the organization. He also restated Rwanda’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that innovation, connectivity, and inclusive growth are essential drivers of progress.
However, he warned that global inequalities in access to finance, technology, and markets continue to threaten developing countries. To address this, Nduhungirehe called for a global shift “from aid to trade,” arguing that development cooperation should empower nations to become self-reliant rather than perpetuate dependency.
“We believe that it is time to transition from aid to trade, enabling developing countries to become self-reliant in a win-win partnership. Development aid must serve as a tool for solidarity and progress, not as a weapon of coercion,” he said.
On peace and security, the minister drew lessons from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, stressing the importance of protecting civilians in conflict zones. He emphasized Rwanda’s leadership in robust peacekeeping operations, the Responsibility to Protect, and the implementation of the 2015 Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians.
Nduhungirehe also highlighted Rwanda’s contributions to the African Union Peace Fund, which has mobilized more than $400 million (Sh51.8 billion). This milestone, he noted, enabled the UN Security Council to agree for the first time to finance three-quarters of African Union peace operations.
Rwanda remains one of the largest troop contributors to UN peacekeeping missions and has also deployed forces under bilateral arrangements in the Central African Republic and Mozambique, supporting state authority, capacity building, and counter-terrorism operations.
Reflecting on the persistence of conflicts around the world, Nduhungirehe reminded leaders of the UN’s founding purpose. “The United Nations was established to spare succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Yet, eighty years on, conflicts continue to erupt across every continent,” he said.
He concluded by warning against relying solely on military solutions. “Rwanda firmly maintains that for most of those conflicts, lasting peace cannot be achieved through military means. We have consistently held that only genuine, good-faith dialogue offers a sustainable path toward global peace,” he said.
By Faith Mwende
