Rwanda Submits Human Rights Progress Report to the UN Highlighting Major Achievements

Kigali, Rwanda - January 21, 2026 - The Rwandan Ministry of Justice has submitted a comprehensive report to the United Nations Human Rights Office, detailing the country’s progress on 160 recommendations regarding the protection of human rights. These recommendations, drawn from a broader set of 260 proposals received in 2021, have been implemented at an estimated rate of 97%, according to Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dr. Ugirashebuja Emmanuel. The report, presented alongside Rwanda’s UN Ambassador Urujeni Bakuramutsa, the Director General of the National Institute of Statistics, Murenzi Ivan, and the Director General of RGB, Dr. Doris Uwiceza, covers all aspects of national life conducted in compliance with human rights standards. Over the past five years, the Ministry of Justice (MINIJUST) trained about 3,000 security and justice sector personnel, including 673 leaders and judges, on expediting charges, fair trial rights, and combating torture. The National Human Rights Commission conducted inspections in 40 prisons and 103 detention centers, while over 9,300 vulnerable people and 7,000 victims of gender-based violence received free legal aid. The report highlights good governance, with service delivery improvements via the Irembo platform, increasing from 89 to 220 services, and citizen satisfaction rising from 76.2% to 89.6% by 2024. Rwanda also created over 900,000 jobs from 2022 to 2025, while the number of households with electricity reached 84%, and mobile phone ownership rose from under 10% to 86%, improving access to information. Access to clean water stands at 94%. In health, the under-five mortality rate fell from 45 per 1,000 children in 2020 to 36 in 2025, hospitals were upgraded to teaching level, and Marburg epidemic response programs were launched, alongside initiatives to quadruple health workforce numbers. Rwanda’s National Agency for Food and Drug Safety attained WHO Category III compliance, becoming the eighth African country to do so. The report also highlights progress in unity and genocide prevention, including establishing the Ministry of Rwandan Unity and Civic Responsibility and having four Genocide sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2023. Poverty rates fell from 39.8% to 27.4%, lifting 1.5 million people out of extreme poverty, supported by programs like VUP. In education, Rwanda built 20,781 classrooms, 650 new schools, expanded disability-inclusive centers, and increased teacher capacity, while continuing to raise the education budget. Women’s representation in leadership also increased, with female senior officials in key positions including the Chief Justice, Prosecutor General, and Ombudsman. Rwanda has hosted refugees from countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan, and advanced environmental protection through the Green Fund, investing over $277 million in 64 projects that created over 100,000 jobs and launching a Carbon Market to mitigate climate change. Countries including Mexico, Mauritius, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, the Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Paraguay, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Korea, Russia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Togo, and many others recognized Rwanda’s achievements and offered recommendations on NGOs, freedom of expression, and press freedom. Dr. Ugirashebuja emphasized that Rwanda respects freedom of expression, noting no journalists have been imprisoned or prosecuted in the country. The law governing non-governmental organizations was revised in 2024 to improve compliance and functionality. Rwanda joined the UN human rights review process in 2011, receiving 67 recommendations, followed by 50 in 2015 and 160 in 2021, on which this report is based, demonstrating significant progress in human rights protection, governance, social development, and economic inclusion.

Faits rapportés

Kigali, Rwanda - January 21, 2026 - The Rwandan Ministry of Justice has submitted a comprehensive report to the United Nations Human Rights Office, detailing the country’s progress on 160 recommendations regarding the protection of human rights. These recommendations, drawn from a broader set of 260 proposals received in 2021, have been implemented at an estimated rate of 97%, according to Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dr. Ugirashebuja Emmanuel. The report, presented alongside Rwanda’s UN Ambassador Urujeni Bakuramutsa, the Director General of the National Institute of Statistics, Murenzi Ivan, and the Director General of RGB, Dr. Doris Uwiceza, covers all aspects of national life conducted in compliance with human rights standards. Over the past five years, the Ministry of Justice (MINIJUST) trained about 3,000 security and justice sector personnel, including 673 leaders and judges, on expediting charges, fair trial rights, and combating torture. The National Human Rights Commission conducted inspections in 40 prisons and 103 detention centers, while over 9,300 vulnerable people and 7,000 victims of gender-based violence received free legal aid. The report highlights good governance, with service delivery improvements via the Irembo platform, increasing from 89 to 220 services, and citizen satisfaction rising from 76.2% to 89.6% by 2024. Rwanda also created over 900,000 jobs from 2022 to 2025, while the number of households with electricity reached 84%, and mobile phone ownership rose from under 10% to 86%, improving access to information. Access to clean water stands at 94%. In health, the under-five mortality rate fell from 45 per 1,000 children in 2020 to 36 in 2025, hospitals were upgraded to teaching level, and Marburg epidemic response programs were launched, alongside initiatives to quadruple health workforce numbers. Rwanda’s National Agency for Food and Drug Safety attained WHO Category III compliance, becoming the eighth African country to do so. The report also highlights progress in unity and genocide prevention, including establishing the Ministry of Rwandan Unity and Civic Responsibility and having four Genocide sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2023. Poverty rates fell from 39.8% to 27.4%, lifting 1.5 million people out of extreme poverty, supported by programs like VUP. In education, Rwanda built 20,781 classrooms, 650 new schools, expanded disability-inclusive centers, and increased teacher capacity, while continuing to raise the education budget. Women’s representation in leadership also increased, with female senior officials in key positions including the Chief Justice, Prosecutor General, and Ombudsman. Rwanda has hosted refugees from countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan, and advanced environmental protection through the Green Fund, investing over $277 million in 64 projects that created over 100,000 jobs and launching a Carbon Market to mitigate climate change. Countries including Mexico, Mauritius, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, the Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Paraguay, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Korea, Russia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Togo, and many others recognized Rwanda’s achievements and offered recommendations on NGOs, freedom of expression, and press freedom. Dr. Ugirashebuja emphasized that Rwanda respects freedom of expression, noting no journalists have been imprisoned or prosecuted in the country. The law governing non-governmental organizations was revised in 2024 to improve compliance and functionality. Rwanda joined the UN human rights review process in 2011, receiving 67 recommendations, followed by 50 in 2015 and 160 in 2021, on which this report is based, demonstrating significant progress in human rights protection, governance, social development, and economic inclusion.