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1. Intercultural awareness

2. Young people's rights

3. Key initiatives to safeguard democracy and prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism

Intercultural awareness

The law of 23 August 2023 on intercultural living together has brought forth the citizen's pact (‘Biergerpakt’). The signatories undertake to participate in the approach of intercultural living together and to promote the values associated with it. By becoming a part of the citizens' pact, individuals gain entry to the intercultural living-together program, which serves as a platform for participants to delve deeper into Luxembourg, encompassing its languages, history, values, traditions and administrative processes.

The Association for the Support of Migrant Workers (ASTI; Association de Soutien aux Travailleurs Immigrés) is an important stakeholder and runs a number of services and projects for young people, but not exclusively. It offers various workshops and runs campaigns on intercultural awareness among young people (see: 5.8 Raising political awareness among young people).

Young people's rights

The offers for political participation are important initiatives that promote young people’s rights (see: 5.3 Youth representation bodies and 5.4 Young people’s participation in policy-making).

An Ombudsman for children and youth was established in 2020 by law (the Ombudsman replaces the former Ombuds Committee for Children's Rights). The Ombudsman is in charge of publicizing the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Luxembourg and ensuring that it is respected.

The tasks of the Ombudsman are as follows:

• Receive and investigate complaints of non-compliance with children's rights and to make recommendations to remedy the reported situation
• Analyse the mechanisms put in place to protect and promote the rights of the child, and to make propositions to the competent bodies in order to ensure the protection of children's rights
• Report cases of non-compliance with children's rights to the competent authorities and to propose solutions in order to improve the situation
• Advise natural or legal persons on the implementation of children's rights
• Raise children's awareness of their rights and the public's awareness of children's rights in general
• Prepare opinions on draft laws, bills and grand-ducal regulations which could have an impact on children's rights
• Prepare opinions, at the request of the Government or the Chamber of Deputies, on all matters relating to the rights of the child.

The budget for the Ombudsman is placed under the responsibility of the Chamber of Deputies. 

In 2022, the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth released two national action plans aimed at executing children's rights in Luxembourg:

1. The Strategy and National Action Plan on the Rights of the Child 2022-2026 (“Zesumme fir d’Rechter vum Kand”). Responding for the very first time to the recommendation of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (young people under 18 years), this action plan is composed of 64 actions and 8 themes, each representing a commitment by the government to protect the rights of children and adolescents in Luxembourg. These themes are:

• Participation of and information for adolescents
• The right to an identity and protection from discrimination 
• The right to keeping ties with your family 
• The right to health and support in case of special needs 
• Protection from violence
• Youth-friendly justice
• Care for unaccompanied minors
• Helping adolescents in a crisis context

The national action plan will identify synergies with the priorities and actions proposed in the other national action plans (e.g., the Jugendpakt 2022-2025, the National Suicide plan for suicide prevention in Luxembourg (PNPSL), the multiannual action plan under the national Affective and Sexual Health - Promotion de la Santé Affective et Sexuelle (PAN - SAS), the national action plan to promote the rights rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.

2. The National Action Plan for the European Child Guarantee 2021-2030. The Guarantee, unveiled in July 2022, is an extension of the recommendation “Investing in Children: Breaking the cycle of Disadvantage", adopted on 20 February 2013 by the European Commission. The Luxembourgish Child Guarantee National Action Plan focuses on education, health, housing, parental forums for guidance, Ukraine and migration. 

Key initiatives to safeguard democracy and prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism

The NGO 'SOS Radicalisation' runs a prevention and consulting centre (respect.lu). The objectives of this centre include three areas: prevention, accompaniment and deradicalization. The centre offers training for multipliers of the psycho-socio-educational field (e.g. teachers, youth workers) and for young people. It also offers consultation for people who are confronted with the phenomenon of radicalisation in their private or professional environment. The centre also organises the project 'dialogue instead of hate'. The main objective of this project is to work together with the authors of hate speech and to analyse their actions, to initiate self-reflection, to analyse possible causes and to learn to use more respectful forms of communication, especially in disagreements and on the internet. Both an examination of the topics 'Hate speech' and 'freedom of expression' as well as dealing with the victim groups are part of the programme. The centre is funded by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region. 

The Centre for Political Education (ZpB; Zentrum fir politesch Bildung) is an important stakeholder with regard to citizenship education. It develops programmes and initiatives to safeguard democracy against and prevent radicalisation which leads to violent extremism (see: 5.8 Raising political awareness among young people).