LuxDev changes lives

LuxDev handles almost all of the resources allocated by the government of Luxembourg to bilateral official development assistance (ODA). It works in 14 countries on four continents. The bulk of its activity is concentrated on the nine official partner countries of the Luxembourg ODA, as defined by the government of the Grand Duchy.

The ODA, with the privileged partner countries, is managed via an Indicative Cooperation Programme (ICP), which is adopted by the governments of Luxembourg and the respective partner countries. The ICP is a multi-annual programme, which identifies key areas of cooperation and multi-year budgets allocated to development programmes. It shows the long-term commitment that binds the Luxembourg Development Cooperation with its partner countries.

The current assistance programme in Vietnam follows the guidelines of the ICP 2011-2015 between Luxembourg and Vietnam, with a budget of EUR42 million, of which a large portion is still to be disbursed over the next few years.

During 2012, approximately EUR5 million were disbursed in nine individual projects and programmes in Vietnam, some of which are in their closure phase.

Preparations for a final cycle of new projects and programmes under the on-going ICP was initiated in of Hue, Cao Bang and Bac Kan.

In 2013, disbursements are estimated at EUR6.5 million. The Hanoi Regional Office (also overseeing operations in neighbouring Lao PDR) is instrumental in facilitating knowledge management throughout all concerned sectors as regards to good practice and does hence provide support with monitoring, technical backstopping, events and documentation on capacity building, cross-cutting issues.

Very recently, the Hanoi Regional Office planned to increase its geographical reach to include Myanmar as well.n

* LuxDev’s regional representative in Hanoi