Press Release
23 April 2006
UK Secretary of State for International Development visits Rwanda
Hilary Benn MP, UK Secretary of State for International Development, will
visit Rwanda on 24 and 25 April, as part of a visit to the Great Lakes region.
Mr Benn will be received by the President and meet with senior Ministers. He
will visit rural communities in Bugesera district to see for himself how far
Rwanda has progressed in its fight against poverty and towards unity and
reconciliation, and the challenges that lie ahead.
Mr Benn will also give a keynote speech to Cabinet Ministers and
Parliamentarians on the subject of ‘Governance and Development’.
This will be Hilary Benn’s third visit to Rwanda. He will be coming from a
visit to DRC.
Speaking ahead of his visit, Hilary Benn said:
“Rwanda has made great progress in recovering from the dreadful events of
1994. The economy has grown faster than almost any other country in Africa
over the past 10 years, more than 90 per cent of children are enrolled in
primary schools and 95 per cent of children are immunised. But with over
half the population still living on less than a dollar a day, there is much
still to do, and the UK is committed to supporting Rwanda into the future.”
 Back to top
Notes to Editors
1. Hilary Benn is visiting Rwanda on 24-25 April, following a visit to DRC.
2. The UK has been providing humanitarian and development assistance to
Rwanda since 1994. The UK is Rwanda’s major bilateral development partner,
providing high, predictable levels of resources in support of Rwanda’s Poverty
Reduction Strategy. According to GoR figures UK was the largest bilateral donor
to Rwanda and also made the biggest budget support contribution.
3. The UK’s bilateral programme has provided around £380 million to Rwanda
over the past 10 years. The UK currently provides bilateral assistance totalling
£46 million each year, of which about £31 million is provided as direct support
to the Government of Rwanda’s budget. The focus of UK bilateral assistance is on
poverty reduction, especially in key sectors including education, agriculture
and land reform, as well as support for public financial management.
4. On 13th February 2006, the governments of the UK and Rwanda signed a 10
year partnership agreement for the next ten years. This set out clearly not only
commitments and obligations shared by the Government of the UK and Rwanda,
including shared commitment to poverty reduction, but also specific undertakings
made by the respective Governments. The MoU provides a sound basis for
constructive discussion and dialogue between the two Governments, especially
during annual partnership talks.
For further information, contact Serge Wiclef on telephone number + 250
585280/1/2/3 or by email at
S-Wiclef@dfid.gov.uk
Back to top
Links
Back to top
| 
Directgov |
