“Thanks to the generous support of the people of Luxembourg, Unicef Luxembourg raised €8.5m in 2024 to support millions of children affected by conflicts, climate disasters or humanitarian crises.” This is according to the association’s 2024 annual report, presented at its general meeting held on Tuesday 29 April.

Of this sum, “more than €1m were mobilised to respond to major emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti, among others, where Unicef provided drinking water, medical care, psychosocial support and access to education.”

Another striking figure: the community of regular donors--the Global Parents--attracted 4,097 new members last year. Between them, they raised more than €4.4m.

Strengthened local commitment

In 2024, the organisation also continued its commitment to children’s rights at the national level:

- child poverty: with an estimated rate of 24.5%, child poverty in Luxembourg remains worrying, says the association. Faced with this finding, Unicef Luxembourg has stepped up its advocacy on this issue and submitted concrete proposals to the government to better protect vulnerable children in the country;

- access to justice: in collaboration with the ombudsman for children and youth (Okaju), a report was published on children in conflict with the law, arguing for approaches that are more respectful of children’s rights and focused on rehabilitation;

- young people’s mental health: the #NetEleng campaign, supported by the Youth Ambassadors and funded by the André Losch Foundation, highlighted the psychological malaise of young people, particularly in schools, via a dedicated website offering advice, stress management tools and local contacts;

- Unicef Lake Run: the first edition of the Unicef Lake Run in Echternach brought together more than 500 participants in a spirit of solidarity, combining sport, civic commitment and support for the cause of children.

New board of directors

Finally, the general meeting ratified several changes to the board of directors. Elisabeth Omes (chairman) and Marie Anne Rodesch-Hengesch stepped down after 12 years of service. Georges Bock has been reappointed for a second term, whilst René Schlechter (former ombudsman for children and youth) and Charles Theis (co-founder and director of Diginius Consulting) are joining.

The board of directors is now composed as follows:

- René Schlechter (chairman);

- Yves Dublin (vice-chairman);

- Marcel Kramer (vice-chairman);

- Henri Beck;

- Georges Bock;

- Gérard Hoffmann;

- Pierrette Meisch;

- Frank Schaack;

- Charles Theis;

- Celia Weber.

This article was originally published in .