Spain has joined the global commitment of contributing to the United Nations (UN) in Rwanda via the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Achievement Fund to support UN activities in the One UN Programme. 

In a press statement released by UN-Rwanda last week, Spain agreed to release US$ 2m (Approx. Frw 1.1bn) to UN in Rwanda in support of their activities for the benefit of the Rwandan population.

Spain put in their contribution a day after the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) signed an agreement with the UN in Rwanda committing US$ 730, 000 (Approx. Frw 500m).

The statement quotes the UN Resident Coordinator Aurélien Agbénonci as saying; "to ensure the achievement of the MDGs, the UN agencies must commit to work closely together to have a bigger impact of their activities for the benefit of Rwanda’s population.”  

The MDG Achievement Fund was set up to increase the resources available to ensure the attainment of the MDGs. The Fund is managed by the UN at country level who is responsible for the appropriate allocation of the funds to benefit Rwanda and its people.

He adds that the success of the Delivering as One UN reform, in particularly the implementation of the One Programme depends on the commitment and contributions of the donors. 

Rwanda was selected as a ‘Delivering as One UN’ pilot country in January 2007 and the Programme consists of all UN development activities for the period 2008 to 2012 in Rwanda and has been fully aligned with Rwanda’s Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). 

It also quotes Agbénonci saying: "We therefore highly appreciate Spain’s previous and current commitment to the reform process and are confident that our partnership will continue in the future”.

According to the UN in Rwanda, based on Rwandan experience so far, Spain offered the contribution to the UN, confident that it will be used effectively in further developing the country and offering a better quality of life to the people of Rwanda. 

"Spain’s contribution, along with the commitment of other donors, will have a significant role in the successful implementation of the Delivering as One UN reform and will in turn have a positive effect on Rwanda’s achievements towards the objectives of EDPRS,” the release states in part.

Other countries that have committed to the One UN Fund are Norway and the United Kingdom. So far, information from the UN offices indicates that the total amount of the resources needed to implement the One Programme for 2009 amounts to US$ 20m (Approx. Frw 11bn).

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