President Kagame speaking at the United Nations Security Council meeting on terrorism at the 69th United Nations General Assembly
President Paul Kagame has told world leaders to take into consideration the need to build systems that protect citizens and engage them in nation building through a collective efforts and partnerships.
President Kagame was addressing the United Nations Security Council meeting on terrorism at the 69th United Nations General Assembly while debating on Foreign Terrorists fighters.
Kagame said that two critically important public goods have been undervalued by the international system in its approach to conflict resolution and peace building- these are physical security and national identity.
“When security breaks down the human costs are enormous, extremists and opportunists are empowered and citizens lose faith in public institutions. As a result, sustainable gains in good governance cannot be made” Kagame said
On this point Kagame remarked that it takes time and patience to build better politics and there are no shortcuts, calling for a need to build governance structures from within that encourage ownership and partnership
“We are dealing with real people who want change, but with continuity and safety. They must be fully included in the process of consensus building and the approach of member states should take this into account.”
On national identity Kagame said politics must be national in scope in order to manage the diversity societies and whatever difference they have, the common citizenship should be a common bond.
What we see around the world today is that national identities are too weak, not too strong and as a result ethnicity, region and religion become the dominant currency of politics and nations are torn apart.
Kagame urged that in this case International systems should encourage efforts by governments and civil society to strengthen national unity, giving an example of Rwanda which has focused on builing accountable-governance, renewed dignity, which makes Rwandans more optimistic people in the world.
For us stability is not an abstraction, it is a reality that abides in the hearts and minds of the people and the institutions they build to sustain it. Once achieved, the horizon expands from poverty reduction to wealth creation and attainment of ever high human measures” Kagame remarked.
On terrorism Kagame remarked that Terrorism is not caused by religion, or ethnicity, or even poverty, but by bad politics and stated that in order to build resilience to extremist narratives, young people must feel they have a stake in their country.
“In Rwanda, we still face acts of terrorism, driven by the ideology of genocide. We have responded with force where necessary, but more importantly, we have remained committed to inclusive and accountable governance.
It is essential that those who renounce violence can be accommodated. The Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme, a partnership with the United Nations and the World Bank, has provided tens of thousands, with a pathway out of extremism.”
Earlier on in a UN meeting chaired by Barack Obama and attended by 13 Heads of State, the US president also said that all nations should pay attention to addressing the problems that face the globe today, such as terrorism.
Obama said that this era is currently facing a lethal and ideological new brand of terrorism that has perverted one of the world greatest religions-Islam branded and asked for collective effort to take down such groups of terrorists.