Today on 13^th November 2023, Minister of Justice/Attorney General Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja co-chaired the National Dialogue on Human Rights, under the theme “Stakeholders’ Reflection on National Human Rights Priorities.

Today’s Dialogue is part of the year-long initiative to mark the 75^th anniversary of the UDHR, whose series of activities will culminate in a high-level event that will take place in Geneva from 11^th to 12^th December 2023. During this event, UN member states, including Rwanda, will make commitments on human rights in the form of pledges.  

While addressing the participants, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja emphasized that Rwanda hold the principles of human rights as fundamental, integral to our nation's progress and at the very core of our society.

“Our commitment to upholding human rights is unwavering. The context of our country and the journey we have walked help us to understand the significance of providing access to justice for all our citizens and ensuring that every individual is treated with dignity and fairness under the law. To achieve this, our legal, policy and institutional frameworks continue to evolve, adapting to the changing needs of our society while holding steadfast to the principles of justice as enshrined in our national laws as well as the regional and international human rights standards we subscribe to.” Minister added.

Every year, on 10 December, the world celebrates International Human Rights Day to mark the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).  The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations.   This year marks the 75^th anniversary of the adoption of this milestone document in the history of human rights.

Remarks by the Minister of Justice/AG during the National Human Rights Dialogue