The Chancellery for Heroes, National Orders and Decorations of Honour (CHENO) was established by Rwanda Constitution of 2003 in its article 139.

The Chancellery comprises the following organs:

1° The Council of the Chancellery;

The Council of the Chancellery is the supreme organ responsible for heading and taking decisions related to management of the property of the Chancellery and to identify persons deserving to be called National Heroes and those to be awarded with National Orders and Decorations of Honour. The Council of the Chancellery is composed of nine (9) members including the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor. Members of the Council of the Chancellery are appointed by a Presidential Order upon proposal by the Minister in charge of culture. At least thirty per cent (30%) of the members of the Chancellery shall be women. Members of the Council of the Chancellery work on a temporary basis.

2° The Executive Secretariat of the Chancellery.

The Executive Secretary of the Chancellery monitors daily activities of the Chancellery. The staff of the Chancellery are governed by the General Statutes for Rwanda Public Service.

The main responsibilities of the Chancellery are as follows:

1.  To participate in designing the policy relating to National Heroes and the awarding of National Orders; 

2.  To carry out research on heroism activities and persons recognized for their acts of heroism and other useful deeds; 

3.  To identify and make a list of persons deserving to be promoted to the rank of national heroes and those eligible for national order awarding in accordance with the provisions of this Law;

4.  To set up procedures for acknowledging, thanking and praising Rwandans or foreigners who were characterized by acts of heroism and other brave and useful deeds; 

5.  To cooperate with other organs in training and sensitizing Rwandans, especially the youth, on the culture of heroism; 

6.  To publicize acts of heroism; 

7.  To set up values of the culture of heroism; 

8.  To cooperate with other institutions of the same mission at the regional or international level.