A high-level delegation represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister of ICT & Innovation Paula Ingabire, and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) CEO Jean-Guy Afrika, has been participating in the 56th Annual Meetings of the World Economic Forum (WEF) since Monday this week. The WEF 2026 edition, underway in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, has drawn close to 3,000 leaders from government, business, and civil society – including 65 heads of state and government – to discuss the most pressing global challenges. Rwanda’s participation over the years in the annual meetings implies that the country understands where influence is shaped and how global partnerships are forged. For a small, landlocked nation, consistent visibility on platforms like WEF is not symbolic. The forum is where political authority, corporate capital, and policy ideas intersect behind closed doors. Deals are not always announced on stage, but relationships are built in private rooms, over bilateral meetings and informal exchanges. That is where trust is cultivated, and trust remains a critical currency in diplomacy and investment. Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe is right to frame Rwanda’s presence as a practical approach to diplomacy. Unlike traditional diplomacy anchored only in embassies and communiqués, Rwanda’s model is outward-looking and transactional in the best sense: show up, engage decision-makers directly, articulate priorities clearly, and follow through. It is no coincidence that the delegation includes economic and innovation leaders alongside diplomats. WEF also amplifies Rwanda’s soft power. The country has, over the years, positioned itself as a problem-solving state, disciplined, predictable and reform-oriented. Repeated participation by Paul Kagame has reinforced that narrative, placing Rwanda among countries shaping conversations rather than merely reacting to them. Hosting the World Economic Forum on Africa in 2016 further entrenched that credibility. Perhaps most importantly, Rwanda’s engagement at WEF aligns with its ambition to be a hub for future-facing ideas. Hosting the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution since 2020 has already translated dialogue into policy experimentation in areas like digital governance and emerging technologies. Participation in panels, such as discussions on healthcare innovation alongside figures like Bill Gates, extends the country’s voice into global solution-building. In a world marked by fragmentation and competition, influence is increasingly exercised through convening power, credibility and consistency. Rwanda’s sustained presence at WEF demonstrates an understanding that diplomacy today is as much about ideas, networks and investment confidence as it is about protocol.
