Dear readers,
The political situation around the globe is changing, and with it international cooperation. More than ever before we need to focus attention on shared interests in partnerships, while still remaining true to our own values. This is a balancing act, which is crucially important in view of the radical upheavals the world has seen over the last year.
The international order is at stake and global crises are worsening. As a society, a country and a company, we are currently grappling with the question of how to ensure we remain fit for the future. GIZ’s guiding principle in this regard is the motto encounter, create, transform. At the heart of this are our partnerships with organisations and institutions from the Global South, Germany and Europe. If we encounter one another openly without prejudice, and if we create ideas and solutions together, we can transform the future. This will benefit many people around the world.
"As we support our partners, we never travel alone. In these turbulent times, we can only have a sustainable long-term impact on the global issues that will decide our future if we work with our partners – to our mutual benefit. And that is why now in particular, we need more, not less international cooperation. As a company, we are positioning ourselves for this and driving forward the necessary changes."
Fit for the future and effective thanks to partnerships
In 2025, we are celebrating 50 years of partnerships with a number of countries, including Kenya, Morocco, Tanzania, Indonesia, Colombia and Peru. Our history of cooperation with many countries in Central and Latin America, Africa and Asia goes back even further. Together we have achieved a lot – fighting hunger, poverty and instability, while also fostering education, health and peace. It is precisely these long-standing partnerships on which we can build today. And it is our strong networks in our partner countries that help us to open doors and build bridges.
With our combined forces, we are still endeavouring to achieve the objectives set out in the 2030 Agenda. The private sector in particular has a major role to play in this since the global challenges we face cannot be overcome with public funds alone. That is why partnerships with German, European, international and local businesses are becoming increasingly important for us.
In future, we will continue to expand the range of opportunities for cooperation with the private sector, and seek new ways of combining business and development goals even more effectively. Here we can draw on our long-standing experience. The develoPPP programme, for instance, has allowed us to establish more than 1,250 development partnerships with the private sector over the last 25 years, with partners ranging from global corporations to medium-sized German enterprises.
"With our wide range of contacts around the globe and decades of in-country experience, we help pave the way for German, European and international companies looking to do business in the countries of the Global South. A genuine win-win situation. In future, we will continue to develop our cooperation arrangements with the private sector and will approach them in an even more purposeful and systematic manner."
GIZ Chair of the Management Board Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel talks to his European colleagues Rūta Grigaliūnienė, Jérémie Pellet and Michal Minčev about the value of partnerships in international cooperation.
In focus – sustainable results
Our internal structures are also being reviewed at present so as to make them fit for the future. We are transforming and digitalising our processes with the help of a globally standardised IT system landscape in order to remain effective in the face of changing conditions. We also want to make our work even more data-driven, the goal being to further increase our efficiency, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. This will allow us to achieve even better results in future.
We would like to thank our commissioning parties and clients, our shareholder and all our partners for the trust they have again placed in us and our work in 2024. Our special thanks go to the 24,500 or so GIZ staff members who together used our business volume of around EUR 4 billion last year to create prospects for a future worth living. What we all have in common is our commitment to sustainability, both in our work in our partner countries and within our company structure. This is why we reaffirmed our commitment to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact in 2024.
"The climate crisis, armed conflict and wars, the need to protect global public goods – the challenges we face today do not stop at national or continental borders. Only our common commitment will allow us to address these challenges and achieve lasting peace, security and prosperity."
Complex environment, clear values
The selected examples of our work that you will find in this report clearly illustrate that the global challenges we face are complex, which is precisely why more international cooperation is needed. We not only generate added value for individuals at local level, and better prospects for our partner countries, but also achieve medium-term and long-term impacts for Germany and Europe. We work to ensure peace, security and stability, protect global goods and foster sustainable supply chains. We advocate human dignity and democratic values and work for diversity, equal opportunities and inclusion.
A future worth living needs international cooperation, and GIZ is part of the solution. With our commissioning parties, clients and partners, we make a difference and generate positive changes – for all.
