Mr. Chair-Rapporteur

Excellencies

1. Rwanda warmly welcomes the convening of the first session of the Open‑Ended Intergovernmental Working Group.

2. Aging in Rwanda is becoming more visible as life expectancy has increased over the last two decades to almost 70 years, driven by stronger health systems, disease control, improved sanitation, and socioeconomic gains. 

3. While our population remains predominantly young, this increase in longevity signals a demographic shift that presents both opportunities and responsibilities, including greater investment in the special needs of older persons. 

4. Through a community‑based approach, particular attention is given to older survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, many of whom are the sole survivors in their families and live with trauma and disability.

5. In Rwanda, respect for older persons is deeply anchored in our cultural values and reinforced by concrete legal and policy measures. 

6. In 2021, we adopted the National Older Persons Policy and are implementing it to ensure coordinated government action for the development and delivery of services for older persons. 

7. Our policy is grounded in Rwanda’s broader legal framework, including the Constitution’s guarantees of equality and non‑discrimination, and sectoral laws and strategies that promote the human rights of older persons. 

8. At the continental level, Rwanda has ratified the African Union Protocol on Older Persons, formally committing to the Protocol’s standards and obligations to protect and promote the rights, dignity, and well‑being of older persons.

9. In conclusion, Rwanda supports an inclusive negotiation process that meaningfully engages older persons and their representative organizations at every stage, with a view to delivering an instrument grounded in equality and non‑discrimination, inclusive participation, and intergenerational solidarity.

10. Such an instrument should translate existing human rights into clear protections for older persons as rights-holders and drive progress in advancing their inherent dignity and rights across generations.

I thank you, Mr. Chair-Rapporteur.