Introduction
Development cooperation relations between Luxembourg and El Salvador began in 1993, as part of efforts to rebuild the country following the civil war.
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El Salvador has been one of the Luxembourg Development Cooperation countries with projects since it joined the category of middle-income countries in 2015. The year 2022 saw the closure of the main bilateral projects. The Luxembourg Development Cooperation has focused on three key areas, through innovative projects targeting:
- support for the El Salvador government’s social policy (FOCAP);
- support for youth employability through civil society via the Fondo Concursable, managed by the El Salvador government;
- support for South-South and triangular cooperation (FOSAL).
These projects were implemented by the El Salvador government with support and follow-up from LuxDev. The last activity by the Fondo Concursable, implemented in 2022, supported the creation and strengthening of enterprises set up by young people in risky situations. The last remnants of FOSAL have been used to finance two graduate training courses, one in the management of international cooperation and the other in the management of South-South and triangular cooperation.
At the end of 2022, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation launched a new project with its long-standing partner Fundación Nacional para el Desarrollo (FUNDE). This project, which runs until 2025, focuses on strengthening civil society, citizen participation and transparency in El Salvador. The project’s overarching objective is to contribute to the strengthening of democratic governance and the rule of law in El Salvador through civic participation, the creation of alliances, the strengthening of the capacities of citizens’ organisations and the promotion of dialogue.
The Luxembourgish NGO Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM) received co-financing from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in 2022 and continued the implementation of projects in the human rights area in El Salvador.