The Directorate

The Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs

Since 1980, the development cooperation policy has been one of the central tenets of Luxembourg's foreign policy. Since 2009, the country invests 1% of its gross national income (GNI) into development aid, making it one of the five most ambitious developed economies in this field. Luxembourg's cooperation policy is based on targeted partnerships and underpinned by the key principles of reliability, commitment and expertise. It is geared towards the eradication of poverty, especially in the least developed countries, and is consistent with the goal of sustainable development.

For reasons of efficiency and impact, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation involves a policy of targeted intervention in a small number of partner countries.

The geographical choices of the Luxembourg Development Cooperation are made on the basis of the Human Development Index developed by the United Nations Programme for Development, as well as regional considerations and particularly fragile situations. The country adopts multiannual cooperation programmes, known as 'Indicative Cooperation Programmes' (PIC, Programme Indicatif de Coopération), with six 'partner countries', five of which are based in West Africa. It also supports programmes in seven other countries known as 'project countries'.

Priority areas for cooperation are education – including vocational training and access to employment –, health and local development.

Organisation chart