NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF RWANDA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG

Soline Nyirahabimana, the new Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented her credentials to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to her appointment to Geneva, Ms. Nyirahabimana had been serving as a Cabinet Minister in the Office of the President of Rwanda from November 2002 until May 2011 where she was in charge of policies and legislation from institutions attached to the Office of the President.
She was also involved in the formulation of policies and laws, and specifically to ensure their conformity to the vision and principles of good governance enshrined in the Constitution of Rwanda.

Ms. Nyirahabimana, a lawyer by profession, before her appointment as a Cabinet Minister in 2002, had been a Director-General in the Office of the President in charge of legal, legislative and constitutional affairs. In this position she oversaw the process of preparation of the current Constitution of Rwanda that contains the fundamental principles of human rights, good governance, rule of law, socio-economic welfare and economic development.

In 1999, Ms. Nyirahabimana was elected by the Parliament of Rwanda for a three-year term as a Commissioner in the Rwandan Human Rights Commission. Before that, she was an active member of the Rwandan civil society dealing with the promotion of the rights of women and children. At the beginning of her career, Ms. Nyirahabimana worked as a public servant in the Ministry of Public Service and Labour.

Ms. Nyirahabimana has a Bachelor degree in law from the National University of Rwanda (1989). She has also attended training sessions on human rights, leadership, communication and leadership and courses on gender and development, conflict resolution and management. Born on 1 December 1965 in Rwanda, Ms. Nyirahabimana is married with two children.


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CR11/019E