Your Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of AU Commission;
Your Excellency, Ambassador Cherif Zene, Chairperson of the PRC;
Your Excellency, Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of AU Commission;
Excellences Commissioners;
Permanent Representatives to AU;
Heads of AU Organs;
Heads of Regional Economic Communities;
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen;
On behalf of the government and people of Rwanda and on my own behalf, I extend to you worm welcome to Kigali and hope that your stay in Rwanda will be a memorable one. Murakaza neza! (In our local language - meaning you are most welcome).
This indeed is a memorable time for the people of Rwanda as we host the African Union Summit for the first time, we are deeply humbled for this and we thank you for making this happen.
By hosting the African Union Summit, Rwanda wishes to reiterate her special interest and commitment to the cause of our continent and bringing the AU closer to the African people. We are therefore thankful to the PRC especially, because it is where all Decisions to the Assembly of the Union originate.
This is yet another huge opportunity to popularize the African Union and its agenda 2063 among member states. I can assure you that by the time the AU Summit ends on 18th July, the understanding of the majority of Rwandans about the African Union, will completely be different. They will have deeper knowledge of the African Union and its member states.
The theme of the Summit is even closer to the hearts of the Rwandan people, that is "Year of Human Rights with particular Focus on the Rights of Women" it is one that Rwandans fully identify with and I personally. I therefore stand before you as one of the many proud Rwandan women today who have been given opportunity to serve their country in leadership capacity. Thanks to the Leadership of President Paul Kagame for putting woman rights at the center in all we do in Rwanda.
Human Rights, especially the Rights of women will remain central as we implement Africa’s Agenda 2063 and that is why I believe you choose this theme.
Excellences;
As you deliberate the several issues before us today on you program and as you prepare for the Executive Council and the AU Summit in the next few days, I trust this session pave way for even further transformation of our conduct of Business as a Union.
This Summit is the beginning of streaming the conduct of our meeting and I trust that the PRC will be more productive given that the items on the agenda are fewer and more focused.
The meetings could also end early enough to allow you opportunity to discover Rwanda more, interact with its people which I believe is one of the objectives of convening the June / July Summits, outside Headquarters in addition to popularizing the African Union.
Excellences;
I recognize that these sessions are principally designed to enhance cooperation among African countries designed to help to work towards a common African Agenda.
I wish to express my gratitude to all delegates for their full cooperation and contribution to the valuable recommendations for this PRC meeting
Let me conclude my remarks by thanking you for honoring Rwanda and giving us opportunity to host you. I wish you every success in your deliberations and a very pleasant stay in Rwanda.
I thank you
