Excellencies,

Rwanda thanks the Co-Chairs and the ICRC for their leadership of this Global Initiative to galvanize political commitment to International Humanitarian Law, and we welcome the 2025 Progress Report.

The progress achieved across the seven work streams call attention to the continued relevance of this collective effort, and I am honored to announce that Rwanda has joined this Global Initiative, reaffirming our full commitment to engage actively and contribute to advancing its agenda.

Domestically, Rwanda is strengthening the implementation of IHL through operationalizing our National IHL Committee, which brings together key institutions, notably the Ministries of Defence, Justice, Interior, Health, Emergency Management, and others, working through an inter-agency coordination framework to embed IHL obligations into national policies and practice.

Our commitment to IHL is also demonstrated on the ground. As the second largest contributor of peacekeeping troops and police units, our contingents are trained in IHL and the protection of civilians. They, along with other peacekeepers serve in challenging circumstances with professionalism, discipline, and respect for human dignity, as a moral duty. 

In this regard, we attach importance to all workstreams, particularly, that of protection of civilians, as well as the promotion and respect for IHL by parties to conflict. These two areas that are central to preventing violations, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that peace operations truly safeguard affected populations.

The Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians, endorsed by over 50 countries, some of them here present, directly complements IHL. These Principles bridge the gap between commitments or obligations on paper, into practical operational standards for UN peacekeeping missions. These principles are important tools to support peacekeepers to prevent harm and protect civilians in conflicts.

Excellencies,

As I conclude, Rwanda’s experience, shaped by our history and the active engagement we undertook in peace operations, reinforces our conviction that respect for International Humanitarian Law must remain at the core of international peace and security efforts.

We stand ready to work with all partners on this shared commitment and to ensure the continued success of this Global Initiative.

Thank you.