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EACEA National Policies Platform
Luxembourg

Luxembourg

9. Youth and the World

9.3 Exchanges between young people and policy-makers on global issues

Last update: 28 November 2023
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  1. Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the domestic level
  2. Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the international level

Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the domestic level

There are no defined top-level policies, programmes, or projects on global issues in Luxembourg. However, there are ad-hoc meetings between NGOs and policy-makers where global issues are discussed (for example prime minister Xavier Bettel invited representatives of Youth For Climate Luxembourg (YFCL) to meet for talks).

In May 2019, four so-called ClimateXchange-meetings (CNEL, 2019) have been organised by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, the Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development in close cooperation with the National Pupil Conference of Luxembourg.

The meetings with a total number of 500 participants took place in different secondary schools across the country. Pupils were given the opportunity to participate actively in the development of a strategy to combat global warming.

Afterwards, a pupil delegation presented a draft report to the government with the main results and conclusions of these meetings. The report was taken into consideration for the preparation of the upcoming national energy and climate plan (Government of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, 2018) as well as the new strategic plan for agriculture. The national energy and climate plan highlights the contribution of young people on the following topics: sustainable schools, mobility, waste, energy, and agriculture. The plan addresses the climate friendly schools and pupils' ideas on reducing their ecological footprint by implementing for instance sustainable mobility concepts, reducing water consumption or integrating sustainability issues into the school curriculum. Other topics and suggestions made by the pupils are not explicitly mentioned in the plan, so it is not clear to what extent they have been considered. 

Global issues were also on the agenda of the 2021 youth convention. This convention, open to all interested young people, was entitled 'Your future - your objectives'. It includes four workshops on different issues (Health and Well-being, Housing, Transition to work, Sustainability). The workshop on sustainability dealt with current and future challenges for individual behaviour and societal development.

Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the international level

Luxembourg participates in the UN Youth Delegate Programme where delegates provide input to their delegation on issues related to youth and partake in their delegation's general work by attending meetings and informal negotiations. The UN Youth Delegates officially represent the interest of youth from their country at the United Nations (UN). They are selected to accompany the diplomatic delegation of their government to the meeting at the UN, and particularly to the General Assembly of the UN. Youth delegates can participate in several inter-governmental meetings at the UN. Most official youth delegates participate in the General Assembly, but some also attend functional Commissions of the Economic and Social Council. Two young people from Luxembourg are attending the Programme in 2022.

Within the framework of the European Youth Dialogue, youth-specific topics are prepared by national working groups for cycles of 1.5 years each and discussed at European youth meetings. The last cycle 2022-2023 (EU Youth Dialogue) focused on sustainability and social inclusion. Three youth delegates in cooperation with the national working group conducted the national consultations for Luxembourg and prepared proposals. The results are regularly presented to politicians and discussed with them at the 'Jugenddësch'. (see 5.4 Young people's participation in policy-making).