LONDON, England – Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK minister of state for the Commonwealth, will visit Rwanda April 29-30, as it prepares to host Commonwealth leaders in June. The minister will see first-hand the government of Rwanda’s preparations for a safe and successful event.
The 26th Commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) is scheduled to take place in Kigali in June. At CHOGM, the UK will hand over to Rwanda the role of Commonwealth chair-in-office.
As outgoing Commonwealth chair-in-office, the UK has worked with our Commonwealth partners over the last three years to deliver over 40 projects across six continents, supported by £500 million of UK funding, to create a better future for the Commonwealth’s 2.4 billion citizens.
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon said: “The UK commends Rwanda’s work on its planning for a safe and secure meeting of the Commonwealth family at CHOGM 2021. As Commonwealth chair-in-office for the past three years, the UK has worked in partnership across the Commonwealth to deliver the aspirations and commitments which leaders set out on fairness, security, sustainability and prosperity at CHOGM in 2018. The UK-funded Girls’ Education Challenge, for example, is supporting up to 1.5 million marginalised girls across the world, including in eleven Commonwealth countries, ensuring they benefit from quality education. In Rwanda, the UK is proud to have supported education for 8,268 girls through the programme.”
The UK has helped Rwanda to lift almost two million people out of poverty since 2005. As one of Rwanda’s largest and most long-standing bilateral development partners, the UK is committed to supporting Rwanda’s development and helping to build on the significant economic and social progress that has been made since the genocide twenty-seven years ago.
During his two day visit April 29-30, Lord Ahmad will lay a wreath at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The minister will meet with figures from the government of Rwanda to discuss bilateral and Commonwealth issues, including climate change. He will also meet with human rights activists and journalists.
