Introduction

The activities of non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs) remain essential for Luxembourg’s development cooperation. In 2022, 25 multiannual framework development agreements were funded and 27 development projects were accepted. For awareness-raising and development education in Luxembourg, 15 multiannual framework agreements (2022-2024) were signed in 2022 and 8 annual projects received subsidies from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MFA). Two mandates, Rethink your Clothes and the Third World Information Centre (CITIM), were renewed (2022-2024) for programmes fully funded by the MFA.

Faced with the significant increase in the actual administrative costs incurred by the NGDOs, the ministry decided to raise the ceiling for administrative costs from 14% to 15% in order to help the NGDOs to absorb costs linked to personnel, operations and their premises.

Concerned by the inflationary surge in developing countries in 2022, the ministry has already indicated to NGDOs that it will ensure that funds are reallocated so that they can adapt their activities on the ground to the inflationary environment.

Following some cases linked to sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) that have occurred in the development cooperation and humanitarian action sector internationally, the MFA and the NGDOs’ Circle decided to produce a charter to prevent and respond to SEAH. Since 2021, any association or foundation wishing to obtain ministerial approval or any NGDO wishing to renew its ministerial approval must have signed the SEAH Charter. During 2022, the MFA, in collaboration with the Circle, worked to draft a virtual self-directed training guide for approved NGDOs to better support them in this area.

Since 2020, as part of development projects and programmes, a security budget heading has been created to finance not only security training for local partners and volunteers but also non-lethal equipment, eligible as official development assistance (ODA), required in order to ensure the safety of local partners and volunteers on the ground. In addition, the ministry co-financed security training in Luxembourg for accredited NGDOs, organised by the Circle in 2021 and 2022.