The agency, which works alongside the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, presented their yearly report to the chamber commission on Monday 2 September, and detailed their plans for the future.
2018 was a significant year for LuxDev as they celebrated their 40th anniversary. Marc Angel, president of the foreign affairs chamber commission, said it was interesting to see how the agency had evolved over the years, moving from a project-driven to a programme-driven approach.
Angel said 30 years ago, they were helping to build schools abroad, whereas these days the agency is more likely to accompany different countries at a national political level.
Although new challenges are on the horizon in terms of international cooperation, the agency is planning new directions. One of the future challenges is certainly set to be the question of climate change. CSV MP Paul Galles said the climate issue was particularly acute in some countries, which begs the question of how Luxembourg can help. The agency will be looking at new ways to cooperate and improve conditions to help protect the environment.
Gaston Schwartz, director of LuxDev, agreed that climate change would be the biggest challenge in the near future, particularly in West African countries. According to Schwartz, LuxDev are currently attempting to help with different initiatives, such as a natural resource management project in Burkina Faso, which is focusing on replanting forests. There are also ongoing projects for recovery of degraded lands, transforming dry ground into fertile land. In Niger, there is a big programme currently focusing on water provision and retention.
The agency is continuing to work closely with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, currently planning a new strategy for 2030.
