New York - July 14, 2008
United Nations Capital Development Fund and the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Sign Agreement to Strengthen their Relationship
New agreement seen as structured framework for collaboration towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
Henriette Keijzers, UNCDF Executive Secretary a.i. and H.E. Mr. Jean-Louis Schiltz, Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, Minister for Communications, Minister of Defence, Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, exchange the agreement that expands and extends the relationship between Luxemburg and UNCDF in UNCDF’s two Practice Areas, Local Development and Inclusive Finance. Photo by Magnus Magnusson/ UNCDF.
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg signed an agreement to expand and extend their relationship through a coherent, predictable and structured framework for collaboration. With the signing of the Agreement, Luxembourg will further support UNCDF and the realization of its activities.
Luxembourg recognized that UNCDF has an important role to play in the international context through its mission of Investing in the Least Developed Countries to help them achieve the Millennium Development Goals and the objectives of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries.
With a total contribution of 1,100,000 Euro for the period 2008-2009, Luxembourg will support UNCDF in its essential advisory and support role in the elaboration of public policies in developing countries, aiming to enable decentralization and local development and building of inclusive financial sectors, to support the fight against poverty and to help countries make the transition to development.
UNCDF Executive Secretary a.i., Ms. Henriette Keijzers, said the partnership with Luxemburg to upscale, replicate and expand UNCDF’s work in its two practice areas presents another boost for enabling decentralization and local development and for building inclusive financial sectors. “Today more than ever it is indispensable to join the efforts of different actors” she said. “We are very pleased to collaborate closely with Luxembourg that shares with us the conviction that the achievement of the MDGs is a collective undertaking that requires a strong partnership of all development actors, such as been defined at the International Conference on Financing for Development Conference in Monterrey in 2002.”
The Framework Agreement confirmed the commitment of UNCDF and Luxemburg to translate into concrete actions the goals adopted by the international community, as well as the importance that Luxembourg attaches to the internal development issues and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.