Kigali, 24 February 2015- Members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to UN-Habitat have today concluded a three-day tour of Rwanda. Their visit aimed to boost the partnership between the Government of Rwanda and UN-Habitat to support sustainable urbanisation for development.

During their trip, the committee met with government officials and the private sector to exchange ideas on the role of urbanisation in national development. The meetings were an opportunity to share practical experience and best practices between Rwanda and UN-Habitat member states.

The UN-Habitat committee members visited Musanze in the Northern Province as one of the towns identified to grow into a secondary city. While there, the committee assessed master plan implementation studies and witnessed the progress made in urban settlement and planning in secondary cities. Afterwards, the delegation travelled to Rubavu on the shores of Lake Kivu where they toured high-risk zones and the Rwanda-DRC border.

The committee also stopped in at the Kimisagara One Stop Youth Centre, where they learnt about different youth empowerment programmes. UN-Habitat supports youth empowerment to enhance inclusive urbanisation.

The Government of Rwanda supports sustainable urbanisation and human settlement as a key driver of the country’s transition to middle-income status. Rwanda aims to have 35% of its population - double the current figure - living in cities nationwide.

Sustainable urban development will enable Rwanda to optimise the urban economic advantage, facilitate trade and investment, maximise human capital development, and enhance an efficient use of natural resources.