constituteproject.org • Motives for writing constitution • Source of constitutional authority • Reference to country's history • Integration of ethnic communities • Rights of children guaranteed • Limits in the employment of children • International human rights treaties Rwanda 2003 (rev. 2010) PDF generated: 18 Apr 2016, 15:14 Preamble We, the People of Rwanda,   1. In the wake of the genocide against the Tutsi that was organised and supervised by unworthy leaders and other perpetrators and that decimated more than a million sons and daughters of Rwanda;   2. Resolved to fight the ideology of genocide and all its manifestations and to eradicate ethnic, regional and any other form of divisions;   3. Determined to fight dictatorship by putting in place democratic institutions and leaders freely elected by ourselves;   4. Emphasizing on the necessity to strengthen and promote national unity and reconciliation which were seriously shaken by the genocide against the Tutsi and its consequences;   5. Conscious that peace and unity of Rwandans constitute the essential basis for national economic development and social progress;   6. Resolved to build a State governed by the rule of law, based on respect for fundamental human rights, pluralistic democracy, equitable power sharing, tolerance and resolution of issues through dialogue;   7. Considering that we enjoy the privilege of having one country, a common language, a common culture and a long shared history which ought to lead to a common vision of our destiny;   8. Considering that it is necessary to draw from our centuries-old history the positive values which characterized our ancestors that must be the basis for the existence and flourishing of our Nation ;   9. Reaffirming our adherence to the principles of human rights enshrined in the United Nations Charter of 26 June 1945, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide of 9 December 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948, the International Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination of 21 December 1965, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 19 December 1966, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 19 December 1966, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women of 1 May 1980, the African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights of 27 June 1981 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989;   10. Committed to ensuring equal rights between Rwandans and between women and men without prejudice to the principles of gender equality and complementarity in national development; Page 6