(L-R) Antón Leis García, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations; Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Minister; Carl Skau, WFP Acting Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director;
Credit: MAE Luxembourg
On Monday 21 September 2026, Luxembourg’s Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, together with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, announced the signing of three new strategic partnership frameworks with United Nations (UN) humanitarian agencies for the period 2027-2030.
Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Xavier Bettel signed the agreements with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly in New York, United States (US).
The signings took place in the presence of UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau and UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations Antón Leis García.
According to the ministry, Luxembourg's partnership with the WFP will contribute to efforts to combat hunger, strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations and support innovative solutions in food security and nutrition.
Through its partnership with UNHCR, Luxembourg will continue supporting refugees and displaced persons, particularly through innovation, connectivity and digital solutions aimed at improving access to services and the effectiveness of humanitarian action.
The partnership with OCHA aims to reflect Luxembourg's support for the organisation's coordination mandate and the "Humanitarian Reset", a process aimed at making the humanitarian system more effective, better coordinated and more focused on needs. Luxembourg will also continue to support pooled humanitarian funds, which allow resources to be mobilised according to the most urgent needs.
The ministry noted the increasing risks faced by humanitarian workers worldwide. According to OCHA, since the beginning of 2026, 82 humanitarian workers have been killed, 97 injured and 39 abducted.
Against the backdrop of increasing humanitarian needs, Luxembourg also reaffirmed its commitment to humanitarian principles, respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of humanitarian workers.
