Rwanda has concluded its Fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) following the adoption of the reports by the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council on January 30, 2026.  The Working Group held its 51st session (UPR51)  from 19 to 30 January 2026 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, during which 13 Member States were reviewed. Rwanda’s prior reviews were conducted in January 2010, November 2015, and January 2021. 

Addressing the Human Rights Council during the adoption of the reports, Ambassador Urujeni Bakuramutsa reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to the UPR as a cooperative, objective, and peer-driven mechanism grounded in equality among States and constructive dialogue. She expressed appreciation to all delegations that engaged constructively in the review of Rwanda and underlined Rwanda’s continued focus on implementation, measurable impact, and results.  

Rwanda’s national delegation to UPR51 was led by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, and brought together senior representatives from  other institutions including MINALOC, Rwanda Governance Board and NISR. During the interactive dialogue on 21 January 2026, 100 States took the floor, reflecting a high level of engagement and interaction consistent with the peer-review nature of the UPR. 

Beyond being reviewed, Rwanda participated actively  during UPR51 and offered  constructive recommendations to a number of other reviewed  States, in line with its approach to human-rights diplomacy rooted in mutual learning and cooperation. Rwanda’s recommendations focused on areas of significant relevance to the promotion of human rights.   .

In its constructive engagement, Rwanda made the following recommendations to these countries:

• Mauritania: strengthening the capacity of national human rights institutions and reporting mechanisms; accelerating the adoption of legislation on combating violence against women and girls; and reinforcing cooperation with regional and international human rights mechanisms, including through specialized training of judicial actors.

• Nepal: developing and implementing a uniform, data-based mechanism for fact-based reporting to enhance accountability and more effectively track human-rights progress.

• Oman: strengthening cooperation with countries of origin of migrant workers to enhance protection of their rights; and accelerating the adoption of legislation on the rights of persons with disabilities in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

• Austria: continuing and expanding measures to address prison overcrowding, including through the use of alternatives to detention.

• Georgia: expanding free legal aid and trauma-informed psychosocial services for survivors of violence against women and domestic violence; and accelerating the adoption of the draft law on restorative justice.

• São Tomé and Príncipe: advancing implementation of the legal framework on transparency, access to information, and whistle-blower protection; and strengthening the capacity and independence of oversight and judicial institutions to enhance accountability and public trust 

Rwanda received a total of 286 recommendations during its review and will indicate its position on each recommendation in due course, ahead of the final adoption of the UPR outcomes by the Human Rights Council during its 62nd session later in June 2026. Rwanda also expressed its appreciation to the Troika composed of China, Ecuador, and Malawi, as well as to the UPR Secretariat, for their role in facilitating the review process.

In concluding her statement, Ambassador Bakuramutsa reaffirmed Rwanda’s unwavering commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and to constructive engagement within multilateral mechanisms, emphasizing that the dialogue held under the UPR provides a clear and credible path forward rooted in cooperation, responsibility, and results.