As one of the founding members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Luxembourg is a proactive advocate of international development cooperation and has a solid partnership with the Organization in the areas of food security and agricultural development. The fight against poverty and ultimately its eradication within sustainable development is at the basis of the country’s development cooperation policy.
Luxembourg’s development assistance focuses on several priority areas that are in line with FAO’s mandate. They include health, water and sanitation; food security and nutrition, which are crucial for sustainable agricultural development and resilience to crises (e.g. climate change); education, with a focus on equal access for all; employability, with a special focus on women and youth; and vocational training systems. Moreover, the country’s development cooperation maintains a strong geographic focus on West Africa, especially the Sahel region (aside Laos and Nicaragua, five out of seven priority countries are in West Africa: Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Mali, the Niger and Senegal).
The Agenda 2030’s principle of “Leaving no one behind” and the commitments set out in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development are at the heart of the country’s general development cooperation strategy — “The Road to 2030” — which focuses on people, prosperity, planet, partnerships and peace. Through this strategy,
Luxembourg has supported FAO’s work to eradicate hunger and eliminate poverty, while promoting economic, social and environmental sustainability within agricultural and food systems.
In the period 2009–2019, Luxembourg provided a total of USD 25.1 million (EUR 22.1 million 1) in voluntary and assessed contributions to FAO. More specifically, USD 5.4 million (EUR 4.7 million) were given in voluntary contributions between 2014 and 2019 and were mainly directed towards development projects in Africa (60 percent), followed by Asia (40 percent).
Luxembourg has proven its commitment to sustainable development in a versatile manner, by supporting food and livelihood security in Afghanistan, contributing to the resilience of young people in Mali and strengthening early warning and preparedness in Senegal.
Luxembourg’s strategy presents four inter-related thematic priorities that could serve as areas of continued cooperation with FAO. They include improving access to quality basic social services, enhancing socio-economic integration of women and youth, promoting inclusive and sustainable growth, and strengthening inclusive governance.
In the years to come, FAO and Luxembourg will continue to work around common priorities, exploring new and innovative partnerships and financing mechanisms that will strengthen their delivery of the 2030 Agenda and act as a driving force to achieve sustained prosperity and a Zero Hunger world. FAO will rely on its partners’ contributions, including from Luxembourg, to step up efforts to support the fight against hunger in times of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, while realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
