Luxembourg's development cooperation - Annual report 2016

Population 19,9 million
Surface area 1267000 km²
GNP per inhabitant (PPP in $) 897
Classification in HDI 187/188

2016 was marked by the start of the bilateral programmes as part of the Indicative Cooperation Programme (ICP III) covering the 2016-2020 period. This new ICP is firmly rooted in a philosophy of continuity and consolidation of knowledge gained and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The interventions of Luxembourg’s development cooperation were specified during the participatory strategic dialogue between Luxembourg and Niger with a view to complying and aligning with the priorities of the Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth Strategy (SDDCI - Niger 2035: Stratégie pour un Développement Durable et de Croissance Inclusive) and the 2017-2021 economic and social development plan (Plan de développement économique et social - PDES).

The general aim of this ICP is to contribute to capacity building in order to accelerate inclusive growth, social development and the sustainable management of natural resources within the context of good governance and security. The specific objectives of this ICP are: sustainable agricultural development; improvement of access to and quality of primary education; improved provision of vocational training with a view to improving the employability and occupational integration of young people and women; improved access to drinking water and high-quality sanitation.

Given its involvement in the drinking water and sanitation sector, Luxembourg has since mid-2016 taken on the role of lead technical and financial partner for the water and sanitation sector in Niger for a period of two years.

The UNFPA programme to support the inclusion of rights and health of adolescents and control of demographic growth in policies and programmes was signed on 3 November 2016. Advanced negotiations have also taken place with the United Nations system to support the programme to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities in rural areas in the convergence municipalities in the Maradi region, implementation of which is planned for 2017.

As part of the implementation of the EU strategy for security and development, Luxembourg and the EUCAP Sahel Niger civil mission committed in 2016 to collaborating on building the capacities of the security forces and Niger actors responsible for combating the illegal trafficking of migrants.