URUGWIRO VILLAGE - The United Nations is set to build a complex in Rwanda where all its programmes will be headquartered as cooperation between the organisation and Rwanda grows.

This was announced yesterday by Aurélien Agbénonci the UN resident coordinator in Rwanda after his courtesy call on President Paul Kagame at Urugwiro Village.

During an interview with journalists shortly after their talks Agbénonci said that success of the UN development programmes in the country is a result of Rwanda’s good collaboration.

His talks with the President mainly focused on the UN activities in the country, governance issues and the forthcoming visit in Rwanda of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.  

Ban Ki-Moon is expected in Rwanda later this week as part of a visit to Africa that he started early this week.

"We think the cooperation between Rwanda and the UN is in a new era, we have achieved many good things with the support of the President (Kagame),” he said.

He lobbied for the President’s support for the project to build the UN House in Rwanda which will host all the organisation’s development activities, now coordinated under One-UN programme.

"We are going to build here what we call a building of the United Nations but for Rwanda. We want it to be an eco-friendly UN building and the President has pledged his support for this programme,” he said.

The new complex is to be completed in about two or three years and different stake holders, both public and private will be involved in its construction, Agbénonci said. He will hold high level talks with President Paul Kagame, together with other top government officials.

Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Rosemary Museminali, told The New Times on Monday that the country’s contribution in promoting regional security together with other justice related issues are likely to feature prominently in the UN boss’ talks in Rwanda.

Rwanda remains one of the largest contributors of troops to the UN and African Union hybrid mission in Darfur, Sudan.

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