Members of various public institutions, Civil Society Organizations, Ministry of Justice and Justice, Reconciliation, Law, Order and Security (JRLOS) institutions involved in human rights in Rwanda have completed a training program on human rights and reporting mechanisms, both at the national and international levels, and have committed to strengthening the country’s human rights standards. 

The three-day training, which concluded on May 16, 2025, was organized by the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Institute of Legal Practice and Development.

William Ndengeyinka, Senior State Attorney in Charge of International Justice and Judicial Cooperation in the Ministry of Justice, explained that the training focused on international and African human rights treaties to which Rwanda is a party. It assessed how the country fulfills its obligations under these treaties and aimed to strengthen collaboration among various institutions to enhance their implementation.

He noted that the training provided an opportunity to involve planning officers from different institutions so they can actively contribute to the realization of human rights commitments.

“We already had human rights focal points in both public and private institutions,” Ndengeyinka said. “But this time, we wanted to include planning officers because they are the ones who allocate the resources needed to implement human rights-related activities. Their inclusion was very beneficial, as we needed their expertise instead of leaving everything to lawyers.”

Ndengeyinka further stated that the training served as a platform to harmonize understanding on how to prepare accurate and comprehensive reports on the implementation of human rights treaties.

Laurent Shenge, a law lecturer at the University of Rwanda and one of the trainees, said the workshop was a valuable experience that allowed participants from various sectors to exchange ideas on human rights—especially given that their perspectives are often not aligned.

He highlighted that a state has three main obligations concerning human rights: to protect, to respect, and to fulfill them.

He emphasized that discussing the responsibilities of both government and civil society organizations, along with sharing essential data, contributes to fostering a culture of collaboration.

“This training brought together all stakeholders. We hope this unity will persist, leading to more cooperation, so that institutions share information instead of denying each other access to data—even though they are all working toward a common national goal,” he said.

Viateur Bangayandusha, ILPD’s Academic Dean, commended the dedication of the participants and encouraged them to help improve Rwanda’s human rights image by producing evidence-based, data-driven reports.

As part of the training, participants also visited the Nyanza International Prison located in Mpanga to assess how the rights of inmates are being upheld.