Rwanda: Officers, Civilians Begin Training On Human Rights Law - Musanze

What the report says

Twenty-eight military, police and civilian personnel began a weeklong course on International Human Rights Law in Peace Support Operations on Monday, November 2, at the Rwanda Peace Academy in Musanze District, according to The New Times as distributed by AllAfrica. The training is the third edition of the programme and is being run in partnership with the Rwanda Peace Academy, the UN Human Rights Office in Rwanda and UNICEF.

The opening session highlighted the growing legal, ethical and operational demands facing peace support work. Colonel (Rtd) Jill Rutaremara, director of the academy, said personnel need a strong grasp of human rights law to help ensure that peace operations protect dignity and humane treatment. He also emphasized that safeguarding rights requires coordination across military, police and civilian institutions.

The curriculum is set to cover the relationship between international human rights law and international humanitarian law, as well as the protection of civilians and children, prevention of torture, arbitrary detention, sexual and gender-based violence, and accountability. Michael Ngabirano of the UN Human Rights Office in Rwanda said human rights should be treated as a foundation for legitimate and effective security operations, not an obstacle to them.

The course runs through November 6 and is intended to give participants practical guidance they can apply in their institutions, day-to-day duties and future peace support deployments. More broadly, the report reflects continued efforts in Rwanda to strengthen rights-based approaches to security and peacekeeping.