As international cooperation faces challenges due to geopolitical tensions and financial constraints, it is worth highlighting the partnership between Luxembourg and the United Nations, a small country making a global impact, which started in 1945.
Founding member and strong voice for multilateralism
By signing the United Nations Charter on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, Luxembourg became the smallest founding member of the United Nations.
“As a founding member of the United Nations, my country has a long tradition of commitment to multilateralism and universal values,” Luxembourg’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Olivier Maes, states.
This ongoing commitment was further demonstrated in July 2025 when Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel hosted a ministerial breakfast in New York in support of UNRWA on the sidelines of the High-Level Conference on the Two-State Solution, while Justice Minister Elisabeth Margue received the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to discuss the protection of journalists and the fight against disinformation, priorities carried forward by the country’s Human Rights Service.
Luxembourg’s contribution to the UN’s humanitarian mission
In 2024, Luxembourg allocated $122.5 million USD in humanitarian aid, continuing its long-standing commitment to international solidarity. Of this, $50.3 million went directly to United Nations agencies, according to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The principal recipients were the World Food Programme (WFP) ($22.4 million), the UN Refugees Agency (UNHCR) ($17 million), the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) ($5 million) and UNICEF ($1.6 million).
A commitment to 1%: Luxembourg’s development assistance benchmark
According to the Activity Report of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defense, Cooperation and Foreign Trade, “Reducing extreme poverty remains at the heart of the efforts of Luxembourg’s Development Cooperation, which pays particular attention to the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
In 2024, the country maintained its objective of allocating 1% of its gross national income (GNI) to Official Development Assistance (ODA), a goal enshrined in the government’s 2023–2028 programme. This translated into €551 million euros.
This contribution exceeds the UN’s long-standing goal for developed countries to spend 0.7% of their GNI on ODA and reaffirms the country’s position as a reliable partner in global development.
Luxembourg in the UN system
In 2023, 49 Luxembourg nationals worked across various UN agencies and entities. While this number represents a small share of the UN workforce, it reflects Luxembourg’s participation in the multilateral system.
Despite its modest size, Luxembourg has played a visible diplomatic role in the UN system, including a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (2013–2014). It also demonstrated its support for international law and human rights through its election for the first time in its history to the United Nations Human Rights Council from 2022 until 2024, alongside 17 other new members.
Luxembourg is home to one UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Old Quarters and Fortifications of the City of Luxembourg, a testament to its historical and architectural significance. This inscription is part of cultural preservation efforts carried out in cooperation with UNESCO.
Often overlooked, Luxembourg is also a key beneficiary of the UN system through procurement. In 2024, Luxembourg ranked as the 61st largest supplier to the United Nations, with $82.61 million USD in contracts awarded to Luxembourg-based businesses, according to the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM).
Most of these procurements were destined for UNICEF, a vital UN agency that vaccinates over 45% of the world’s children. The pharmaceutical products sector is the main receiver ($54.8 million), followed by engineering and research services ($12 million).
Support for global solidarity
In 1988, Luxembourg gifted the “Non-Violence” sculpture, also known as the “Knotted Gun”, to the United Nations. Created by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, the sculpture sits at the entrance of the UN Secretariat building and has become a symbol of the UN’s role in disarmament and international peace and security.
According to the OECD development co-operation peer reviews, Luxembourg’s “commitment to allocating 1% of gross national income (GNI) to official development enjoys strong political and public support.”
This underpins Luxembourg’s consistent backing of the UN’s work globally.
Luxembourg may be small in size, but its contributions to the United Nations, in development aid and diplomacy, are important in a world facing complex challenges.