At the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) in New York, Rwanda’s Ministry of Environment demonstrated its commitment to global environmental stewardship. Led by the Minister of Environment, Dr. Valentine Uwamariya, and accompanied by Juliet Kabera, Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), the delegation contributed to discussions on ending plastic pollution and advancing climate action.

Advancing the Global Plastics Treaty

As a co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, Minister Uwamariya participated in several high-profile events to advance negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty. 

The Minister joined a Ministerial Consultation on the Plastic Pollution Treaty, hosted by Canada and Norway, where she delivered remarks calling for the treaty to consider the full life-cycle of plastics and provide a framework to reduce plastic production. She also joined business leaders at a High-Level Roundtable hosted by the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, where companies like Mars, Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Pepsico joined government leaders to discuss how the treaty​ can be ambitious and pragmatic.

The day culminated in the High-Level Event on the Global Plastics Treaty, where Minister Uwamariya reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to the fight against plastic pollution, saying, “As we enter the final stages of negotiations, let us be as ambitious as possible. This is a treaty the world wants, and it is one we must deliver in Busan.”

Minister Uwamariya also co-chaired the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a group of more than 65 nations calling for a legally binding, ambitious and effective treaty based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastics.

Steering Climate Action through the NDC Partnership

Alongside its work on ending plastic pollution, Rwanda contributes to global climate action as co-chair of the NDC Partnership, a coalition of more than 200 members focused on achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

On September 25, Minister Uwamariya opened the 2024 Fall Steering Committee Meeting of the NDC Partnership, where discussions focused on advancing climate resilience. In her opening remarks, Minister Uwamariya highlighted Rwanda’s commitment to working with international partners to accelerate climate action. She also encouraged institutional members to continue to improve the provision of climate finance and move quickly to programmatic approaches that strengthen national systems. 

Rwanda will co-chair the NDC Partnership alongside Denmark until January 2025. During this time, Rwanda will continue to advocate for climate adaptation and resilience as well as a fair deal on climate finance, particularly ahead of COP29 in Azerbaijan​.

Looking Ahead

Rwanda’s participation at UNGA79 provided the opportunity to advocate for a robust international agreement on plastic pollution and contribute to the important work of the NDC Partnership in the global fight against climate change.

By forging partnerships with fellow nations as well as global partners and industry, Rwanda is playing its part in building a sustainable future. The country will continue to advance multilateralism as a tool to address global environmental challenges at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Learn More

• To learn more about the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, visit hactoendplastic.com. 
• To learn more about the NDC Partnership, visit ndcpartnership.org. 
• To learn more about Rwanda’s climate action efforts, visit climatechange.gov.rw.