Jochen Flasbarth,
Chair of the GIZ Supervisory Board, State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Message from the Chair of the Supervisory Board
Dear readers,
Development policy is key to resolving the global challenges of our time through international cooperation. It shows solidarity with the Global South while at the same time serving the interests of Germany. This applies just as much to combating climate change as it does to supporting refugees worldwide and preventing new pandemics. Development policy strives to make societies around the world more resilient to crises. It is therefore an integral part of security policy. Cooperation in the spirit of partnership helps to consolidate alliances and open doors. Germany’s prosperity is built on this openness to the world.
As the central implementing organisation for German technical cooperation, GIZ carries out German Government policy professionally, in a manner that is held in high regard by our partner countries. To understand why Germany is engaged in countries in the Global South, it is helpful to explain how GIZ’s work delivers concrete results worldwide.
© BPA / Steffen Kugler
»Cooperation in the spirit of partnership helps to consolidate alliances and open doors. Germany’s prosperity is built on this openness to the world.«
Listen, connect, transform: These terms describe how development cooperation works, the impact it has, and how it benefits us and our partners.
Development cooperation thrives on equitable exchange between partners. The first step is therefore to listen. The goal is to gain a better understanding of interests and to identify mutual benefits. Anyone who believes that this happens primarily at desks in Germany will quickly realise that the opposite is true when they work with GIZ. It is above all the roughly 20,000 staff members in the partner countries who help to ensure that key voices do not go unheard. And it is the dedication of all GIZ staff that enables them to offer bespoke solutions that meet local needs – without losing sight of the importance of contributing to the resolution of global problems.
With this concentrated local expertise, GIZ is an important ambassador for Germany. It makes it clear to people around the world that Germany is a conscientious and strong partner. It highlights the effectiveness of Germany’s knowledge around the globe and thus contributes to safeguarding resilient partnerships. Because good cooperation helps us to connect and forge lasting bonds.
In the current situation – shaped by Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, the brutal Hamas attack on Israel and the resulting military intervention in Gaza, but also the many ‘forgotten’ crises in countries in the Global South – development cooperation is more important than ever. It is the key to a stable, peaceful and sustainable world and will be instrumental in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Global crises, particularly climate change, biodiversity loss, pandemics and conflicts, affect us all. They do not stop at national borders, and many global challenges are directly linked to one another. Only by pulling together can we address these global challenges – as equal partners. GIZ’s work makes a substantial contribution to shaping these partnerships, understanding the perspectives of people at the local level and, at the same time, taking a stand for values that apply to all human beings. GIZ demonstrated once again last year that we can transform the world and make it a better place. For this, the company and all of its staff members deserve our sincere thanks.
Best regards,
Chair of the GIZ Supervisory Board
State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
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