Coherence of development policies

Luxembourg Development Cooperation subscribes to an approach based on promoting and supporting the coherence of development policies, which enables it to contribute to the overall coherence of Luxembourg’s actions in a given partner country and to evaluate its effective contribution to sustainable development.

The 3D approach (diplomacy, development and defence) implemented in the context of Luxembourg’s foreign policy, as well as more recently the implementation of the country approach, notably in Cabo Verde, are the main reference frameworks for ensuring coherence between national and foreign policies, with the primary aim of contributing to sustainable growth and stability.

This involves assessing whether and to what extent national policies effectively contribute to the attainment of the aims set in Agenda 2030 in developing countries. In this sense, Luxembourg Development Cooperation supports the inclusion of impact on developing countries within the Nohaltegkeetscheck, which will make it possible to test the sustainability of legislative initiatives, thus boosting the synergies between national policies and international cooperation.

Nationally, the Interministerial Committee for Development Cooperation (ICDC) is responsible for pan-governmental coordination on development cooperation and the coherence of development policies. The ICDC works in close partnership with both the Interdepartmental Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) and the Interministerial Committee on Human Rights (ICHR). In this context, in 2021 Luxembourg Development Cooperation adopted two thematic strategies, namely the “Gender Strategy” and the “Environment and Climate Change Strategy”, which will serve as a compass for its interventions.

In order to strengthen the mechanisms that are vital for policy coherence, such as the ICDC, Luxembourg is supported by the OECD, which formulates recommendations for adjusting Luxembourg’s mechanisms in order to make them even more effective and efficient.

The Chamber of Deputies continues to play an important role in governance and policy coherence by providing overall oversight through regular liaison with the government.

The state of progress regarding development policy coherence is also closely monitored by the NGOs’ Cercle de Coopération, which, with the support of Luxembourg Development Cooperation, regularly makes observations and implements awareness-raising activities, particularly in the areas of fair trade and socially responsible clothing.