• His Highness, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates
• Excellencies, Heads of State and Government
• Distinguished Audience

First, I thank His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed for convening this outstanding forum, and for hosting us so graciously.

It is good to be back, working together to assess our progress on the sustainability agenda.

Unfortunately, the global sustainability agenda as it stands, has not yet delivered on its promise, particularly for Africa. Political commitments are not met with action, yet leaving us endless debates and finger pointing.

Policy options are often not suitable for the realities of developing countries.

The stakes for Africa are quite high. First, our population is set to double by 2050. This rapid growth means our economies must meet increased demands for water, food, energy, and jobs.

In this context, sustainability presents us with a dual challenge: We must fast-track development, while concurrently building a low-carbon economy.To achieve both goals, we have to adopt affordable, scalable, and economically viable technology.

Rwanda’s approach to sustainability reflects this, with a focus on inclusion, resilience, and collaboration. We have created a pro-business environment with tax benefits and simple immigration policies.

We also launched the Rwanda Innovation Fund to back disruptive companies and attract global capital. These principles have driven practical innovations in many sectors. We have digital platforms that give farmers access to real-time market data to inform their decisions.

Zipline, a drone company that started in Rwanda delivering medical supplies, is now valued at $4 billion with operations across multiple continents. In our urbanization efforts, we cut energy use and emissions through smart street lighting and intelligent traffic systems.

On the mobility front, we have invested in electric motorcycles, and cashless payments for public transport. We are complementing these initiatives with tax incentives for electric vehicle adoption. But experience has taught us that while renewable energy and digital solutions are very vital, they are insufficient to drive Africa’s industrialization.

For this, we require energy that fuels large-scale manufacturing and production. Sustainability plans that neglect this obvious and pressing need, are asking Africa to constrain its development.

This is neither fair nor acceptable. It is a question of fairness and justice.

The technologies we discuss, must provide energy at scale, which is just as cost-effective as the alternatives. Nuclear energy is a viable option, as it offers a clean and reliable power source.

Rwanda is already taking active steps to prepare for small modular nuclear reactors as a major part of our future energy mix. We recognize that sustainable development is a collective effort, and no nation can do it alone.

However, we must learn from the mistakes of the past, and move beyond political frameworks that keep us in a stalemate.

Technological innovations necessitate pragmatic and results-driven partnerships. Ultimately, technology will depend and succeed where politics is falling and failing, in getting us to a sustainable and equitable future.

This is why we are so happy about our very valuable cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, through the Government Accelerator Program, the One Million Coders Initiative, and the Government Experience Exchange Program.

Our goal is to raise our people’s standards of living, while keeping harmony with nature. Like-minds need to cooperate. Rwanda is open, and prepared to collaborate with all partners who share this vision.

I thank you for your kind attention.