The 20th National Dialogue Council, commonly known as Umushyikirano, has adopted 12 resolutions across three key sectors: - economy, social welfare, and governance. The resolutions are aimed at accelerating Rwanda’s development and strengthening service delivery. The dialogue, presided over by Paul Kagame, was convened in Kigali from February 5 to 6. It brought together leaders from government and the private sector, representatives of the Rwandan community abroad, members of the diplomatic corps, development partners, international organisations, and the media. According to a statement released on February 17, President Kagame emphasized that implementing Umushyikirano resolutions remains a cornerstone of national development, resilience, and Rwanda’s chosen trajectory. He underscored the responsibility of leaders to promote unity, strengthen accountability, foster self-reliance, and prioritize homegrown solutions. ALSO READ: How Umushyikirano drives accountability and delivers impact “In particular, he called on leaders to improve performance and collaboration, place citizens at the center of service delivery, and uphold accountability,” reads part of the statement. The resolutions: In the governance sector, the resolutions focus on improving leadership performance, citizen engagement, and addressing pressing social challenges. These include improving planning and implementation of performance contracts (Imihigo) to better respond to citizens’ concerns, enhance service delivery, and improve overall performance. The dialogue also resolved to reinforce citizen engagement and behaviour change initiatives to empower communities to actively address social welfare and development challenges. ALSO READ: Umushyikirano: Rwandans weigh in on progress, what needs to change Additionally, leaders agreed to strengthen campaigns and educational measures aimed at preventing teenage pregnancies, reducing school dropout rates, and combating alcohol and drug abuse. In the economic sector, the resolutions emphasize strengthening accountability, productivity, and competitiveness across key industries. This includes enhancing project planning, monitoring, and accountability to ensure timely implementation and achievement of objectives. The council also resolved to continue professionalising mining activities, with greater emphasis on mineral processing and value addition to maximise economic benefits. Efforts to increase agricultural and livestock productivity will be intensified through expanded access to fertilisers, improved seeds, irrigation services, and artificial insemination. The resolutions further call for providing targeted support to industries to boost production, improve competitiveness, enhance value addition, and address packaging challenges. In addition, leaders agreed to resolve outstanding issues in One Stop Centres by streamlining processes and increasing public awareness about these services. The integration of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) at district and national levels will also be accelerated to strengthen financial inclusion and efficiency. In the social sector, the resolutions aim to strengthen education, youth empowerment, and creative industries. Leaders agreed to advance the quality of education to better align with labour market needs, nurture talent, and strengthen language instruction, particularly in English. The dialogue also emphasized promoting youth recreational activities, talent development, and skills training to support productive and decent employment. Furthermore, leaders committed to supporting Rwandan content creators and creatives to effectively monetise digital platforms and online content. The resolutions are expected to guide national priorities and reinforce Rwanda’s focus on citizen-centered development, improved service delivery, and sustainable economic growth.
