Credit: MEGA
On Thursday 29 January 2026, Luxembourg’s Ministry for Gender Equality and Diversity reported on the first national conference on equality and diversity at municipal level, which brought together around 60 participants from active municipalities.
The conference was opened by Minister Yuriko Backes, who highlighted the importance of municipal engagement in advancing equality and diversity in a concrete and sustainable manner.
The event provided a dedicated space for dialogue and reflection, contributing to the strengthening of local policies on equality and diversity.
In her opening speech, Minister Backes stated: “This conference is intended to serve as a genuine lever for empowerment for all municipalities, regardless of their size or human and financial resources. Its aim is to encourage them to become even more active and exemplary, as equality and diversity concern our entire society and require collective commitment to build inclusive, fair and forward-looking municipalities.”
Organised in partnership with Syvicol and the REGA network, the conference highlighted shared responsibility among political actors, advisory commissions and municipal staff, the ministry said. It emphasised the importance of a coordinated and cross-cutting approach to ensure lasting and tangible impact at local level.
A central moment of the conference was the interactive exchange with all participants, notably through a round-table discussion, aimed at identifying the costs associated with equality work at local level, analysing the difficulties and obstacles to proactive equality and diversity policies, and jointly seeking concrete solutions.
The ministry stressed that municipalities play a key role in implementing proactive policies in the fields of equality and diversity. It noted that progress is often most visible and fastest at local level, where measures take on a concrete dimension in the daily lives of citizens.
Emile Eicher, President of Syvicol, also highlighted the fundamental role of municipalities in this context, stating: “Municipalities will continue to be decisive actors in this field. We must therefore not rest on our laurels, but continue to move forward. Information and awareness-raising must also be pursued so that these issues reach even more residents of our municipalities.”
The ministry added that, to date, twelve municipalities have a dedicated equality and diversity service (REGA), 29 municipalities have signed the European Charter for Equality at Local Level, and eight municipalities have joined the Diversity Charter Luxembourg. These figures reflect positive momentum, while also highlighting the remaining potential to further strengthen municipal engagement in these key areas.
