Rwanda

Press Conference on the UN Reform

Friday, 21 October 2005: A press conference on the UN Reform was held today at the United Nations Development Programme to brief the press on the ongoing UN Reform worldwide. Chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Moustapha Soumaré and other members of the UN Country Team, the conference was attended by journalists from local and international media, both print and broadcast.

The journalists were briefed on the UN reform process, why it was necessary and how it will be implemented. The UN at this time needs to be reformed to make the organization more efficient and responds to the needs of the member countries. The reform will bring changes to work programmes, structures and systems, in headquarters locations and in the field. On a question from the press on the impact of these reforms to the cooperation with Rwanda, the journalists were informed that the reforms will make the cooperation with Rwanda more efficient and the UN bodies will be working in amore coordinated way. The United Nations Development Framework will respond to the priorities of Rwanda as identified in the second PRSP. The speakers praised Rwanda for having a clear vision for development that makes cooperation easier. In the near future, the UN agencies will be working in same premises as part of the UN reform, and this again will help the agencies work in a more coordinated way. The UN reform will make the UN a transparent organization, rid of corruption and other lack of transparency. The reform of the organization is needed to help push forward the Millennium Development Goals agenda.

Preventing genocide and conflicts, corruption, security, information sharing with the external world, are all issues debated during the press conference. The reform has started and is going on, and positive steps have been made like the creation of the Peace building Commission to help countries transition from war to peace, backed by a support office and a standing fund the establishment of a UN Human Rights Council during the coming year.

The press was invited to inform their fellow citizens about the UN reform, which is not a business of the UN alone, but a business of all member states.