Private Sector Momentum Builds as New Companies Commit to the UN Global Compact in Rwanda
Private Sector Momentum Builds as New Companies Commit to the UN Global Compact in Rwanda
Efforts to drive private sector investment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Rwanda received a significant boost as seven new companies pledged to join the United Nations Global Compact during a recent high-level Partners’ Forum in Kigali. This was further underscored during the Partners’ Forum, held under the theme “Can Do with Integrity” and organized in collaboration with MTN Rwanda and Mobile Money Rwanda on 7 August 2025.
The forum, which brought together stakeholders in the Rwandan business ecosystem such as suppliers, vendors, franchises and other partners, was attended by over a hundred participants from various companies and received strategic support and guidance from the UN Global Compact.
The commitments followed a presentation by the UN Global Compact on its value proposition and the benefits of joining the largest global sustainability initiative. Specifically, the forum served as an opportunity for the UN Global Compact to recruit new businesses to join its future Country Network and support them to address critical areas of regulatory compliance, fraud prevention and anti-bribery measures, procurement processes and standards, and ethics and integrity in business operations.
During the engagement, the UN Global Compact reported on its progress in Rwanda, where the membership has grown from 1 to 27 companies since 2023, across sectors including banking, energy, mining, telecommunications, and construction. While Rwanda shows strong growth and retention; the relatively small size of the national economy and local businesses means that achieving viability for the network will require welcoming a hundred businesses.
During the Forum, Marie Claire Dushimumukiza, Country Manager of the Global Compact in Rwanda, emphasized that businesses can collectively translate ambition into concrete action by joining the UN Global Compact, integrating its Ten Principles into their strategies and operations, and advancing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. In her words, businesses “hold both the power and the responsibility to shape a more sustainable and inclusive future,” she added.
The partners’ forum comes on the back of the Rwanda’s UN Global Compact Advisory Committee meeting, held on June 25, 2025, which brought together committee members to discuss the country's progress in sustainable development and opportunities for heightened ambitions of the private sector while contributing to the development of actionable strategies that the UN Global Compact can support in its ongoing efforts in the country.
Monzer Ali, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of MTN Rwanda, called on partners to embrace the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and work together to create meaningful impact for people and the planet. “Sustainability is not just a strategic imperative but our foundational commitment. By aligning our business growth with environmental responsibility through initiatives such as driving clean energy adoption, pioneering green innovation, and promoting inclusive digital access, we reaffirm our dedication to responsible business as we work toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2040,” he remarked.
Following the expression of interest collected from the 7 new companies, the UN Global Compact will conduct one-on-one follow-ups with individual companies to enlighten them on the application process, receive applications and move forward with onboarding of interested companies.
