Workshop Debates Draft New Strategy for Luxembourg's Development Cooperation

On Thursday 15 June 2018, Luxembourg's Minister of Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, Romain Schneider, presented the new overall strategy of the Luxembourg Cooperation in a workshop that brought together circa one hundred participants, representing the main stakeholders of Luxembourg Cooperation, public and private, civil society and academia.

The workshop provided an opportunity for an open discussion, during which participants were able to address their key questions and comments on the content and form of the draft strategy.
The workshop followed an important consultation process of the main stakeholders involved with the Luxembourg Cooperation, launched by the Directorate for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, from March 2018.

"Alignment with the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the principle of leaving no one behind, will be at the centre of the new general strategy," Minister Schneider said during his opening speech.

The minister also recalled "the general objective of the Luxembourg Cooperation, as defined by the amended law on development cooperation of 2012 remains unchanged, to contribute to the fight and, ultimately, the eradication of poverty through support for the economic, social and environmental sustainability of developing countries".

"In accordance with the principles of development effectiveness, Luxembourg will continue to apply the principles of national ownership, alignment, harmonisation, results-based management and mutual accountability," commented Romain Schneider, underlining that the new strategy will reflect the 3D approach (diplomacy, defense and development) of Luxembourg's foreign policy, which will be applied in a flexible way, according to the specificities of the targeted countries.

In conclusion, Minister Schneider highlighted the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships for achieving the strategic development goals (SDGs). The different Luxembourg players each have an added value to bring and the new strategy will serve as a vector for the creation of synergies and leverage effects.