Luxembourg's development cooperation - Annual report 2018

The landscape of Luxembourg non-governmental organisations (NGO) is notable for its great diversity and its dynamism. Ninety-four associations, including two new ones, currently have the approval of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs pursuant to the amended law of 6 January 1996 on development cooperation and humanitarian action. Luxembourg’s development cooperation can thus have the benefit of a large number of solid partnerships based on close collaboration with the NGOs: the number of NGO projects underway, under all types of co-financing, approached 340 in 2018.

NGOs are a complementary route of bilateral aid, enabling us to be active in countries and sectors where the Ministry does not intervene. Luxembourg’s development cooperation therefore contributes to enhancing the role of development NGOs as spokespersons for the most vulnerable and to promoting inclusive governance, accountability and respect for human rights. We should not forget that NGOs are partners, not the government’s executive agents.

NGOs disbursed 64,5 million euros in 2018 on development cooperation activities via these main financial instruments:

- Framework cooperation agreements: 25 framework agreements were co-financed in 2018 at a total cost of 27,3 million euros. Six new framework cooperation agreements were signed at the beginning of 2018.

- Co-financing of development projects: 184 individual projects by 45 NGOs were supported in 2018 at a total cost of 8,8 million euros: of these projects, 37 were new projects implemented by 30 NGOs. Five tenders were rejected on the basis of eligibility or assessment criteria;

- Implementation mandates as part of bilateral cooperation: 9,7 million euros.

In total, ODA allocated to national NGOs was 64,6 million euros in 2018, i.e. 19,4 % of Luxembourg’s official development assistance. 

This amount includes, in particular, the ODA allocated to humanitarian action (emergency aid, food aid, crisis prevention, reconstruction and rehabilitation), subsidies for awareness-raising of the general public and development education in Luxembourg, as well as support for NGOs’ administrative expenditure.

Luxembourg’s civil society is also distinguished by the increased involvement of volunteers who work for NGOs on the implementation of development projects in the South and/or awareness-raising and development education campaigns aimed at the general public in Luxembourg. In this way, the Luxembourg population contributes substantially and materially to the expression of international solidarity.

The number of approved NGOs, as well as the large percentage of ODA allocated to NGOs bears witness to the importance that the Luxembourg population gives to civil society organisations as development actors in their own right. In this way, the strong commitment of the Ministry to Luxembourg NGOs contributes to the maintenance of the level of ODA at around 1 % of GNI. The Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs has regular, constructive discussions with the NGOs, represented by the Cercle des ONG, in particular via the bimonthly meetings of the MFEA-NGO working group, which met six times in 2018.