19 July 2023
The Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, visited Rwanda this week to participate in the
prestigious Women Deliver 2023 conference and to strengthen Jersey’s links with key Rwandan
partners.
At the invitation of the Rwandan Government, Deputy Moore represented Jersey at the summit and
took part in the Ministerial Forum which guides the summit’s formal proceedings. The Chief
Minister’s contribution demonstrated the Government of Jersey's ongoing commitment to
addressing issues relating to gender equality and inclusion, and highlighted the importance of
working with key international partners to share knowledge and best practice.
The Women Deliver Conference, held once every three years, is recognised as the largest and
most influential global convention dedicated to discussions on gender equality. Those attending
this year included multiple Heads of State and ministerial representatives spanning the globe from
Canada to Australia.
The Chief Minister met with a number of global leaders and policymakers, including the President
of Rwanda, H.E. Paul Kagame, and Family and Gender Ministers from Rwanda, Canada, Ghana
and Victoria (Australia). She held positive discussions with the Polish Finance Minister, and met
with representatives from Unicef and young global campaigners including Malala Yousafzai.
Alongside the summit, the visit to Kigali afforded the Chief Minister the chance to strengthen
bilateral ties with the Rwandan Government across a broader range of issues. In addition to her
meeting with President Kagame, Deputy Moore met with other key partners including Foreign
Minister Vincent Biruta, and Trade Minister Dr Jean Ngabitsinze. Through these meetings, the
Chief Minister welcomed progress on a number of initiatives including proposals for an enhanced
treaty relationship to support trade and investment between Jersey and Rwanda, as well as closer
collaboration in the arts, culture and heritage. Deputy Moore also took the opportunity to meet the
British High Commissioner to Rwanda and Burundi, H.E. Omar Daair, to ensure that Jersey’s
priorities are well understood and in step with broader UK foreign policy.
Finally, the Chief Minister also showed the Government’s support for initiatives being undertaken
by Jersey Overseas Aid, including their partnership with Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) to
enable greater financial inclusion across the country as part of a five-year, £1.2 million project. The
Chief Minister was received by AFR’s Chief Executive, Jean Bosco Iyacu, who welcomed the
Island’s commitment to supporting livelihoods in Rwanda and explained how development funding
was enabling positive change, particularly towards female economic empowerment in Rwanda.
The Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore said: “My focused visit to Rwanda provided an
unmissable opportunity to progress key aspects of our bilateral relationship. With five separate
meetings with Rwandan Cabinet representatives alone, my time in Kigali has achieved a great deal
towards our mutual objectives. I am delighted that the Rwandan Government has confirmed its
wish to enhance our treaty relationship, particularly in respect of a new Bilateral Investment Treaty,
which will facilitate increased investment and economic growth in both our jurisdictions.
“The discussions I have had are central to key issues in Jersey, exploring partnerships to address
skills and recruitment shortages, for example, and seeking greater cooperation to help the
mainstreaming of gender-inclusive policies across the public sector.
“Given its global reach and influential speakers, the Women Deliver 2023 summit offered an
exceptional platform for building strong connections for Jersey on these issues. This was a real
opportunity to engage with governments, agencies, and thought leaders from around the world,
thus expanding Jersey's network of international partners committed to promoting gender equality.
In turn, this will help to inform our own domestic work to implement the policies that will support
positive and lasting change in Jersey.”
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