The East African Community 10th Anniversary celebrations are to be held on November 20, under the theme "EAC 10 years of integration, one people, one Destiny".

The main highlight of the regional celebrations will be the signing of the Common Market Protocol at the Summit Meeting of the Heads of states in Arusha on November 20. Meanwhile, EAC partner states have been participating in a number of events to observe the commemoration.

In Rwanda, the EAC week runs from October 31 to November 7. The Ministry of EAC Affairs is dedicating a week of celebratory activities in which MINEAC and other ministries will amongst others help in the construction of classrooms at Group Scolaire-Kanombe.

In addition, the week will highlight the achievements registered at EAC level in the last ten years, recognizing the roles and contributions of the key players and actors and the broad spectrum of stakeholders in the EAC integration process. There will also be radio and television talk shows on the achievements of EAC integration, including the challenges that the EAC faced during the first decade of its operation (1999-2009), and then focus on the EAC operations into the second decade (2010-2020) and how it is going to reinvent itself to resolve into a truly and visibly achieving regional organization.

The EAC Affairs Minister, Monique Mukaruliza, said that the purpose of the celebrations is to sensitize Rwandans on what the country has achieved within the regional alliance and to strengthen the unity between East Africans and spread the gospel for integration in the EAC.

"This occasion will aim at raising awareness among the EAC population so that they know that whatever is being done is for their own benefit," she said.

As a full member of the EAC since July 2007, Rwanda has registered a lot of achievements among which is the implementation of the EAC Customs Union that has led to the implementation of the EAC Customs Management Act, which replaced the Rwandan Customs law, whereby the Common External Tariff is now 0% on raw materials, 10% on semi finished and 25% on finished goods. Goods from EAC Partner States are entering the country duty free.

Rwanda with other EAC Partner States negotiated the EAC Common Market Protocol and its annexes, which will be signed on November 20. The progress on the Monetary Union by 2012 is in the process.