STATEMENT BY HEAD OF DELEGATION FROM RWANDA -   COLETHA U. RUHAMYA - DIRECTOR GENERAL OF RWANDA ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (REMA)  AT THE 6TH GEF ASSEMBLY IN DA NANG, VIET NAM   27 – 28 JUNE 2018

Excellencies

Distinguished guests

Ladies & gentlemen

I am very delighted and honored   to address this special and important gathering.

I would like to start by thanking the government of Viet Nam for a very warm welcome to this beautiful country since our arrival here. I also thank the GEF secretariat for a very well-organized meeting   and the success in leading the GEF 7 replenishment negotiation process.

The Government of Rwanda appreciates all the support given to us for the better management of our environment and natural resources and we are committed to build on the success achieved so far to shape our plans and programs for the greater impacts for the country and the world at large.

We believe that the inclusive economic growth and the development targets set cannot be achieved without using our natural resources efficiently, protecting our environment and promoting a climate resilient economy that ensures improved living standards for our people today and the generation to come.

The recently approved National Strategy for Transformation (NST)1 (2017 – 2024)  was developed with three (3) pillars of which one of them is economic Transformation with one of the specific objective to sustainably exploit natural resources and protect the environment.

In order to ensure that we are in the right path to realize the journey through vision 2020 towards vision 2050, we have embarked on enhancing partnership and collaboration within and beyond our borders. And I believe this is a call for all of us in this room and beyond.

The situation does not allow us to slow the pace especially if we want to achieve more with less resources; we have to strengthen our partnership between local and central governments, Private and public institutions, men and women, countries and regions.

With reference to Sustainable development goal (SDG) number 17 “Partnership for the Goals; we should not be misled just because the goal is the last on the list, It holds a very important and strong message to achieve the rest.

Let me conclude by a special call to all of us to have more commitment than ever before in ensuring collective efforts for a sustainable and climate resilient economy for our people.

I thank you very much