President Paul Kagame will address one of the world’s most-watched global poverty summits next month, joining Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema in a series of live virtual conversations at Global Citizen on May 14 in New York City.

According to Global Citizen Organization, The three heads of state will participate through live, virtual conversations at the annual summit, which brings together leaders from government, philanthropy, business, entertainment, and advocacy to align commitments and drive action on the world’s most pressing challenges.

This year’s edition is focused on expanding access to education through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, improving food security and economic opportunity, expanding access to electricity and cutting emissions, and addressing global health and nutrition for underserved communities worldwide.

President Kagame’s appearance comes as Rwanda continues to position itself as a credible voice on global development policy. The invitation follows his active participation in last year’s Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan and comes weeks before Kigali hosts what is expected to be one of the continent’s most consequential business gatherings in May.

Global Citizen, the organization behind the summit, describes itself as the world’s largest movement to end extreme poverty, and says that since the movement began, more than $50 billion in commitments announced on its platforms has been deployed, impacting 1.3 billion lives.

This year’s summit takes place at Spring Studios in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, with the Global Citizen series continuing to expand internationally to new cities in 2026.

For Rwanda’s international standing, President Kagame’s virtual seat alongside European and African heads of state at a New York forum signals the degree to which Kigali is regarded as a peer actor in multilateral development conversations, not simply a recipient of them.

The May 14 summit will be closely watched for any specific commitments or policy announcements the three leaders may tie to their appearances.