March 18 has been set as the date when Rwandan and UK lawyers will face off in arbitration proceedings over the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP), a bilateral treaty concluded in 2024. Rwanda accuses the United Kingdom of failing to honour its commitments under the agreement.
Rwanda initiated arbitration proceedings last month.
The New Times understands that the first session will take place in The Hague at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The hearing will be open to the public, allowing people to follow proceedings both physically at the venue and virtually through online platforms.
Why the case?
The dispute concerns the performance of specific commitments under the treaty. According to information shared earlier in January by the justice ministry, Rwanda and the United Kingdom agreed, through a binding exchange of diplomatic notes in June 2024, on financial arrangements to support refugee hosting and economic integration.
Under the arrangement, two payments of £50 million each became due in April 2025 and April 2026. The justice ministry says the payments have not been made.
The MEDP also envisaged arrangements under which the United Kingdom would resettle a portion of the most vulnerable refugees hosted in Rwanda. Although the treaty provided a framework, these arrangements were never finalised.
When a new UK government took office last year, it announced that the partnership would no longer continue.
“These announcements were made prior to the formal invocation of the treaty’s termination provisions. Under international law, termination operates prospectively and does not affect obligations that had already accrued while the treaty remained in force,” read an earlier statement by Michael Butera, Chief Technical Advisor to the Minister of Justice.
The justice ministry also argues that beyond the specific treaty, the dispute highlights a broader principle of international cooperation: that agreements between states are to be performed in good faith and according to their terms.
Through arbitration, Rwanda seeks a legal determination of the parties’ respective rights and obligations under the treaty, in line with international law.
The justice ministry previously said it engaged in diplomatic exchanges with the UK before initiating arbitration.
Origin and purpose of the partnership
The MEDP was established at the request of the United Kingdom to explore new approaches to addressing irregular migration. Rwanda joined the partnership in line with its long-standing commitments to refugee protection, including cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and a policy approach centred on dignity, self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion.
At the United Kingdom’s initiative, the partnership was formalised into a legally binding treaty that entered into force in April 2024. The agreement established reciprocal obligations and included a dispute-resolution mechanism providing for arbitration.
