Bénévolat and the Human Rights-Based Approach: Participation, Non-Discrimination, and Civic Sustainability in Luxembourg

Set against Luxembourg’s exceptional demographic diversity and civic dynamism, this dissertation examines how Luxembourg’s policy framework for bénévolat (volunteering) reflects the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) principles of participation and non-discrimination. Although volunteering is widely promoted in Luxembourg as a social and moral value, it remains only partially institutionalised in law, raising questions about equality, recognition, and sustainability in civic engagement.
Adopting a qualitative, interpretive methodology, the research combines documentary analysis of national legislation and policy reports with six semi-structured interviews conducted between November and December 2025. The study analyses how institutional frameworks, linguistic diversity, and cultural norms shape access to and recognition within bénévolat. Comparative reference is made to Belgium’s 2005 Law on the Rights of Volunteers, which offers a more comprehensive rights-based model.
Findings indicate that while Luxembourg strongly encourages participation, it does not yet guarantee it as a right. Barriers linked to language, time constraints, and administrative formality limit inclusiveness, while recognition remains largely symbolic rather than legal. The study concludes that the current framework embodies formal openness but lacks substantive equality and accountability.
The study contributes to understanding how HRBA principles can illuminate hidden inequalities in civic participation within high-income democracies, offering lessons for other multilingual and transnational contexts.