Rwanda: The position of conseiller de zone (zone counsellor), particularly his or her responsibilities, the geographical areas of responsibility, the appointment process, the term of appointment and what distinguishes this position from that of chef de zone (zone administrator) (2006 - June 2009)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 8 June 2009 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RWA103179.FE |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Rwanda: The position of conseiller de zone (zone counsellor), particularly his or her responsibilities, the geographical areas of responsibility, the appointment process, the term of appointment and what distinguishes this position from that of chef de zone (zone administrator) (2006 - June 2009), 8 June 2009, RWA103179.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4a7040b3c.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The website of the Republic of Rwanda's Ministry of Local Government, Good Governance, Community Development and Social Affairs (MINALOC) indicates that the Republic of Rwanda is divided into provinces (Intara), districts (Uturere), sectors (Imirenge) and cells (Utugari) (Rwanda n.d.).
In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a representative from the Rwandan Embassy in Ottawa stated that as a result of territorial administrative reforms, the titles of conseiller de zone [zone counsellor] and chef de zone [zone administrator] have been replaced, respectively, by conseiller de secteur [sector counsellor] and chef de secteur [sector administrator] (Rwanda 3 June 2009).
In addition, in a 2 June 2009 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a MINALOC representative explained that each province is divided into districts, each district into sectors, and, each sector into cells. According to the MINALOC Representative, following the territorial administrative reform that began a few years ago, certain designations have changed: prefecture has been replaced by province, commune by district, and zone by sector (Rwanda 2 June 2009; see also UN Nov. 2004, 19 and UN July 2001, 30).
Each sector has administrative bodies: the Sector Council, composed of citizen representatives called conseillers de secteur; and the Sector Executive Committee, composed of 10 members, including the chef de secteur (formerly known as the chef de zone) (Rwanda 2 June 2009). The responsibilities of the conseiller de secteur (formerly conseiller de zone) are to ensure communication between citizens and the Sector Council, to participate in deliberations on the sector's business, and to vote on the sector's regulations and budget (ibid.). The MINALOC Representative added that, like the chef de secteur, now called the secrétaire exécutive [Executive Secretary], conseillers de secteur are elected every five years (ibid.).
The difference between the conseiller de secteur and the chef de secteur is that the conseiller de secteur performs his or her duties within an essentially deliberative body, whereas the chef de secteur, as an officer representing the executive, is the manager of the sector and is responsible for executing the decisions of the Sector Council, preparing the sector's budget, and signing contracts (ibid.). The chef de secteur must also report on his or her activities to the Sector Council (ibid.).
Information on the position of conseiller de zone from 1994 to 2006 was not found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Rwanda. 3 June 2009. Rwandan Embassy in Ottawa. Telephone interview with a representative.
_____. 2 June 2009. Telephone interview with a representative of the Ministry of Local Government, Good Governance Community Development and Social Affairs (MINALOC).
_____. N.d. Ministry of Local Government, Good Governance, Community Development and Social Affairs (MINALOC). "Territorial Administration."
United Nations (UN). November 2004. UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Social Affairs (MINALOC), UN Development Programme (UNDP), Belgian Survival Fund (BSF). Projet d'appui au développement communautaire dans la province de Byumba (PADC_B).
_____. July 2001. Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). Étude prospective du secteur forestier en Afrique (FOSA).
