Foreword by the Minister

Dear friends of Luxembourg Development Cooperation,

I am delighted to present to you the Luxembourg Development Cooperation annual report for 2024. In a constantly changing world, our development cooperation and humanitarian work must adapt to many challenges. The activities outlined in this report reflect Luxembourg’s continued commitment as a reliable partner in development cooperation and humanitarian action.

The year 2024 was shaped by conflicts in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine. Food security also remained a major concern, particularly affecting countries already devastated by conflicts or natural disasters. In this context, Luxembourg served as chair of the OCHA Donor Support Group (ODSG) from July 2023 to June 2024. Particular emphasis was placed on responding to the humanitarian consequences of climate change and internal displacement, as well as managing risk in fragile settings. In 2024, Luxembourg allocated nearly €96 million for humanitarian interventions, representing 17% of official development assistance.

As for our bilateral cooperation, the military coups by juntas in the central Sahel region led me, in late 2023, to the decision not to extend our bilateral programmes in Burkina Faso, Mali or Niger. Partnerships in development aid are based on the foundations of good governance and shared values, such as democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. The decision thus marks the end of more than 30 years of bilateral cooperation with those three countries, even as the needs of their populations persist. Nevertheless, we remain active in the region through other channels, such as multilateral and UN agencies, NGOs and other bilateral donors. As for Senegal, we continue to engage with the authorities on a dispute resolution mechanism, particularly in relation to the evolving human rights situation.

In response to these shifts, the process of identifying new partners continued in 2024, alongside the strengthening of relations with cooperation partners already identified. For instance, in March, I signed the roadmap for cooperation between Luxembourg and Benin and inaugurated our embassy in Cotonou. In September, I signed the general cooperation agreement between Luxembourg and Togo with my counterpart Robert Dussey.

While Ukraine continued to endure the impact of the Russian war of aggression, Luxembourg Development Cooperation stepped up its humanitarian support to the country. A technical and financial cooperation agreement was signed with Ukraine on 19 March as part of that effort. Humanitarian mine clearing in Ukraine is an issue particularly close to my heart. On 9 December, I took part in a ceremony to deliver 110 demining kits to Ukraine. Ukraine can continue to rely on our support.

UN organisations have a mandate to uphold universal values and standards across all nations, but multilateralism as a whole is currently under attack, particularly in the area of global health. While neither Europe nor the wider international community is in a position to fill the funding gap created by the withdrawal of or reductions in US support, our continued commitment to multilateralism and the sustainable development goals remains vital. That is why, in 2024, we signed our first multiannual strategic partnership framework with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with a budget of €6 million over four years. We also concluded a new strategic partnership framework for the 2025-2028 period with the World Health Organization, worth €46.5 million. The latter agreement aims to support reforms that have been underway for several years to strengthen the global multilateral health system. We continue to allocate about 30% of our official development assistance annually to programmes and projects run by multilateral organisations.

In 2024, the entire NGDO sector was rocked by a major case of embezzlement within Fondation Caritas. Caritas had been a long-standing partner, particularly in the area of humanitarian aid, and we deeply regret the loss of the international service it provided. I would like to express my gratitude to the entire team for its dedication over the years, including the responsible closure of projects reaching their end and the handover of projects that have been extended, at least temporarily, to new partners. Luxembourg’s NGDOs are a cornerstone of our development cooperation. They implement 15% of our official development assistance and are actively engaged on the ground, including in countries where we have no direct presence. They have a strong understanding of the needs of the most vulnerable communities and know how to support them toward sustainable development. In 2024, the Ministry co-financed 91 NGDO projects, in addition to 23 multiannual framework agreements.

Luxembourg was also the subject of a “peer review” within the framework of the Development Assistance Committee in 2024. That OECD body brings member countries together to discuss best practices in delivering development assistance projects, assess compliance with shared standards and evaluate the distribution of allocated funds. The report, presented in 2025, highlights not only the scale of the aid provided by Luxembourg but also its distinctive features: exclusively grant-based aid with no economic strings attached, focused on combating extreme poverty in the least developed countries. In 2024, Luxembourg allocated ODA amounting to €551.70 million, once again devoting nearly 1% of its gross national income to official development assistance – a commitment met since 2009.

Luxembourg continues to be a committed and reliable partner on the global stage, and its actions in the field of development cooperation and humanitarian aid are a tangible demonstration of this on a daily basis. I extend my thanks to all those involved in these efforts, especially the practitioners working in the field. It is through their work that we can continue investing in people, empowering communities and shaping a prosperous future.