Delegation: Rwanda
Represented by
Position Paper for the Economic and Social Council
The issues before the Economic and Social Council are as follows: Strategies for
Eliminating Transnational Organized Crime: Focus on Human Trafficking and Sustainable
Development Through the Means of Technology: Reduction of Poverty Through Development.
I. Strategies for Eliminating Transnational Organized Crime: Focus on Human Trafficking
Still being a developing country, with a history of democracy that ranges over merely 17
years, and having been crippled by the 1994 genocide, the Republic of Rwanda is compelled to
admit being very vulnerable to the ill effects of Transnational Organized Crime.
Ranking number 34 out of 53 African states, according to 2010’s United Nations’
Development Programme’s “Human Development Report”, shows the Republic of Rwanda to be
at the beginning of it’s arduous journey. Scoring a mere 0.385 HDI rating, Rwanda is still in the
lower class of the African world. Despite these facts, the state of Rwanda has been on an
ascending economical trend, from 1994’s setback, up to present day.
As it’s resources gradually multiply, Rwanda acknowledges the more and more
pressuring need to address the problem of Transnational Organized Crime: as a poor country, it
is exposed to human trafficking; as a post-conflict zone, it is exposed to illegal arms dealing.
In it’s quality of member of the United Nations, the Republic of Rwanda vows to respect
and implement any provisions specified by the U.N. Conferences’ resolutions. Also, Rwanda has
been involved and has received assistance from a number of international organizations and
programs. In march 2007, [Link] (United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human
Trafficking) was launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE). [Link] has established the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in
Persons especially Women and Children, currently adopted by 140 parties. Under [Link]
tutelage, IOM and UNODC have undergone a joint programme to combat human trafficking in
Burundi and Rwanda.
Another UNODC initiative on the matter is the “Promoting the Rule of Law and Human
Security in Eastern Africa” regional programme. As the name clearly indicates, this action is
specific for the eastern African states, which include the Republic of Rwanda. It consists of three
sub-programmes, each dealing with a certain category of difficulties encountered by the
developing African states: (1) countering illicit trafficking, organized crime and terrorism, (2)
fighting corruption and promoting justice and integrity, (3) improving health and human
development.
The UNODC Regional Office for Eastern Africa has begun cooperating with the East
African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO), member of which Rwanda finds
itself. The main objective of this collaboration is to strengthen east African law enforcement
authorities’ capacity to prevent and combat human trafficking. Moreover, the Government of
Rwanda is the only African state in its region to have begun its own programme, which consists
in offering shelter and hotline assistance for victims of trafficking. This activity is undertaken by
the Police of Rwanda and the Ministry of Gender.
Beginning with 2003, the Republic of Rwanda receives direct assistance and guidance in
counter-terrorism from UNODC’s Terrorism Prevention Branch.
On 14 December 2000, Rwanda signed the UN Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime, whose regulations it has upheld following its admission in September 2003.
Further pursuing the fight against TOC, the Republic of Rwanda proposes the following
actions: continuously improving the legislation on the mater, expanding the reaches (both
territorial and concerning competence) of current Treaties and Protocols, and even establishing
new ones, strengthening and improving border controls, supplementing investigations and
prosecutions against international crime organizations, raising awareness on the problem on a
global level. These suggestions are directed to all the member states of the UN. As for internal
action undertaken by Rwanda, we have the following: allocating more funds for combating
organized crime, starting a public information campaign, so that people avoid any suspicious
propositions, supplementing border controls and Police investigations on the mater, further
developing assistance programmes for victims of human trafficking.
In the end, the Republic of Rwanda renews its pledge to do the utmost possible in
combating organized crime, and urges its brethren African states to do so as well, at the same
time offering its services for the common good.
II. Sustainable Development Through the Means of Technology: Reduction of Poverty Through
Development
Despite its relentless efforts, the Republic of Rwanda has to face the grim truth: it is still
one of the world’s poor countries, and it still faces grave problems on a basic societal
development level. Rwanda sees ICT implementation as a catalyst for human development, most
important of which is reducing poverty amidst its population, and has thus set its technological
advancement as a priority.
Broken-down, Rwanda’s GDP will show the following structure, as according to a 2010
CIA World Factbook estimate: agriculture – 42.1%, industry – 14.3% and services – 43.6%.
Taking into consideration that 90% of its 11 million citizens works in agriculture (the large
majority of which is limited to subsistence level), the numbers are alarming. Furthermore, the
low level of agricultural production, and even lower level of industrial production compels the
country to resort to massive imports, that far surpass export levels. According to the same 2010
CIA World Factbook estimate, the Republic of Rwanda exported goods worth of 226 million $,
while importing 1.047 $, thus creating a large deficit in external balance of payments. The fact
that 43.6 % of the GDP comes from service areas is a rather good sign, considering that their
growth both facilitates and would gain benefits from ICT implementation.
The decisions of the Conference should come in logical progression of past UN
resolutions, so they have a concrete basis on which future action can build upon and also a
precedent, used for consulting. As a starting point, the resolutions of the following meetings of
the ECOSOC could be used: 11th Session of the Committee for Development Policy (2009), 42nd
Session of the Commission on Population and Development (2009), 8th Session of the
Committee of Experts on Public Administration (2009) and Special high-level meeting of
ECOSOC with the Bretton Woods Institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2011).
Though poor, Rwanda has shown clear signs of improvement, which should spur
developed countries to further grant their financial aid. To continue down this road, the country
needs foreign help in both developing ICT and services. Its current progress in the area is
shaping up into a potential cheap workforce market for foreign companies and investors, which
would largely benefit both sides: the foreign companies would increase profit and gain access to
untapped markets, and Rwanda’s economy would gain a serious money inflow. An experiment
of this sort would be recommendable: the UN could contract large IT companies to set up
experimental divisions in the country, that would function on a fixed term, leaving the companies
to decide if they are satisfied with the work done, and if they want to continue, setting up a local
branch.
The Government of Rwanda has already begun building technological infrastructure
(including fiber-optics lining) and training people in the use and maintenance of information and
communication technology. The development of ICT faces many obstacles, most important of
which are the high-costs of equipment and training, and the fact that 30% of the Rwandese
people can’t even read, let alone use a computer. We have already covered the financial issue, as
for education, improving the public-school system would be advisable, and also the better usage
of foreign funds and maximizing gains from foreign educational aid programmes.
The Republic of Rwanda has taken up activities as according to the Millenium
Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2000. One of these goals is the
reduction of poverty, which can be done by creating employment opportunities for the people,
which, in turn, can be done by developing modern technologies and technology-based services.
Through the UN Development Group, Rwanda has adopted a harmonized programme
cycle, “National Poverty Reduction Plan: Economic Development and Poverty Reduction
Strategy” (EDPRS), established within the UN Development Assistance Framework. This
project encompasses objectives that promote the popularization and improvement of Information
and Communication Technologies.
Also, Rwanda is affiliated to GCAP (Global Call to Action against Poverty). Aided by
the Ministry of Gender and Family Protection of the Republic, GCAP has launched and
successfully undertaken a campaign against maternal mortality.
A very important aspect in the process of introducing and fortifying ICT in Rwanda is the
existence and functioning of two national institutions that deal with science and research. The
two are the Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer (CITT) and the Institute for
Scientific Research and Technology (IRST). Modern means of communications, though
restrictive in terms of ease of access, have been brought to the people through the existence of
low-cost, low-price business and non-profit activities. The desire and the need for
communication by the Rwandese populace, who, though are poor, value information and modern
communication techniques, should not be overlooked, and are clear evidence of the commitment
of the country towards creating a national, high-tech communications infrastructure.