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Rwanda ’ s Economic Diplomacy and the Opportunities for Enhanced South-South Cooperation
Dr . Philani Mthembu
Rwandan ambassador to the UAE , H . E Emmanuel Hategeka , represents Rwanda Cooperation for the signing of a cooperation MoU with APC Colombia ( South-South and Triangular Cooperation Forum , Dubai , Jan 2022 )
The Human Development Report , recently published by the Rwanda Country Office of the United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ), highlighted the important contributions of home-grown Initiatives to improving Rwanda ’ s Human Development Index ( HDI ) across social , economic and health indicators . Yet , as the world enters the final decade of Agenda 2030 - when the global community aims to have eradicated extreme poverty - and for the first time since the HDI was utilised , many countries have either seen their human development indicators stagnating or going backwards amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
This guarantees that much of the emphasis in Africa and the world will be on the prospects for economic recovery and supporting efforts towards overcoming the health and economic effects of the pandemic . Much of the focus will also turn to the need to support the creation of regional value chains in Africa and the global South in order for the continent to be in a more resilient position to face future pandemics , thus necessitating mutually beneficial relations in development cooperation , trade , and investment . All of these will play a complementary role in reinforcing the importance of economic diplomacy not only as an imperative for Rwanda but also as an imperative for Rwanda ’ s neighbours and partners beyond Africa .
International Development Cooperation ( including South-South & triangular cooperation ) is a core component of International Cooperation . Rwanda ’ s engagement in South-South Cooperation ( SSC )
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