The Rwandan Government’s declared major priorities are national reconciliation, the reduction of poverty, economic liberalisation and deregulation, nationwide decentralisation, and the establishment of good governance.

To assist Rwanda in effectively reaching these goals, GTZ consolidated its activities into three priority areas of bilateral cooperation:

Good governance and the promotion of civil society

In November 2004, GTZ launched a programme to support the democratisation and reconciliation process. It represents a consolidation of previous successful project activities in the fields of justice, youth and political education. These initiatives aimed to increase efficiency, emphasise significance of the reforms, and enhance impact on social reform processes. Major elements include the continued promotion of judicial reform, democratic political education and peace education, strengthening of the private sector and the involvement of young people in the public and private sectors.

Health, family planning, and HIV/AIDS prevention

Like most sub-Saharan African countries, Rwanda suffers from severe shortcomings in the health sector. One core problem is the lack of acceptance of health care services among the general population. The programme “Primary health care and the Fight Against HIV/AIDS” draws on GTZ experience gained in over 20 years of health care facilitation in Rwanda. The Programme’s main components are:

• Supporting reproductive health,
• Improving access to primary medical care by incorporating all populations groups into the public health insurance system and
• Training medical personnel and assuring quality medical care in cooperation with the German Development Service (DED) and Capacity Building International, Germany (Inwent).

Sustainable economic development and market system reform

The programme “Sustainable Economic and Employment Development” responds to Rwanda’s strained social and economic situation. The programme aims to strengthen the capacities of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). It cooperates with the Centrum für internationale Migration und Entwicklung (CIM), the German Development Service (DED), and the private sector. Priorities are:

• provision of economic policy advice to the Ministry for Industry and Trade 
• promotion of the private sector 
• support for the vocational training system.