Luxembourg's development cooperation - Annual report 2018

The dynamism of the private sector is playing an increasingly important role in development affairs, as recognised by the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, which aims to improve the convergence of incentives for the private sector with public objectives.

The Business Partnership Facility (BPF) is a tool enabling the promotion of the transfer of technology and expertise as well as the creation of employment in developing countries. The Facility specifically targets these sectors: i) ICT, ii), fintech iii) eco-innovation, iv) the circular economy, v) biohealth and vi) logistics. In 2018, great interest was shown in the BPF and proposals were of a good quality. Nine sustainable projects by private enterprises in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger, the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Kosovo were selected for co-financing by the MFEA.

Luxembourg’s development cooperation also has commitments at the multilateral level. The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) is a multi-donor programme linked directly to the World Trade Organization (WTO) that helps the least developed countries to play a more active role in the multilateral trade system. The financial commitment for 2016-2022 amounts to 4,5 million euros, bringing Luxembourg’s total contribution to 9 million euros. In 2018, the first bilateral project was launched using the EIF to support the development of the shea chain in Burkina Faso.

The SATMED+ project began on 1 January 2017 and will run until 31 December 2020. SATMED is a telemedicine platform that uses emergency.lu’s equipment, technology and connectivity and is made available to NGOs and development agencies. This e-health tool, developed by SES TechCom, aims to improve public health in developing and emerging countries, specifically in isolated areas without connectivity.