The Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) has joined the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative as a partner exchange, a statement from RSE indicates.

According to the statement, the local bourse was admitted to the SSE initiative in New York on Thursday during a gathering that brought together capital market leaders to discuss the role they can play in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Speaking at the event, Celestin Rwabukumba, the RSE chief executive officer, said planning collectively and sustainably are important to achieve these goals.

"What we do today will shape our future if we want to survive. Given our role at the heart of global financial markets, we are in a unique and privileged position to promote sustainability and corporate responsibility,” he said.

He added that ultimately, it is about supporting stable global long-term economic growth.  "We are, therefore, delighted to join the UN SSE initiative as a partner exchange, and we look forward to collaborating on important sustainability themes with the UN and peer exchanges around the world.”

The SSE platform provides an effective peer-to-peer dialogue among global exchanges, encouraging sustainable investment, while also enhancing corporate transparency on environmental, social and corporate governance issues.

The SSE initiative was launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon in New York in 2009 and has 24 partner exchanges around the world. It has provided stock exchanges with an opportunity to play an important leadership role in promoting sustainable business practices. The SSE is convened by the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the UN Global Compact, the UN Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative, and the Principles for Responsible Investment.