We support digital solutions in our partner countries to create more transparent, more efficient and more democratic government systems and better protect human rights – particularly in light of the challenges in the digital age. We support the modernisation of administrative structures, the involvement of the population and protect the fundamental democratic rights that must apply on the internet worldwide.
We help partner countries make their administrative systems more efficient, more transparent and more participatory. This includes access to high-quality and affordable health services, school attendance and the registration of land titles. The introduction of digital solutions (such as standardised and interoperable software modules for digital administration or by using technologies such as blockchain) can be used to strengthen administration and also increase transparency and traceability. This makes it possible to stop the unlawful outflow of funds and combat corruption. This will benefit citizens as well as companies. New technologies also allow political decisions to be made based on facts, funds to be allocated based on requirements and government accountability to be improved.
Digital systems improve the administration of limited resources in health and social services. For instance, health insurance providers are equipped with electronic registration and accounting systems so that they can better process the data of its members. Digitally prepared and automatically sent hospital service accounts can also be reviewed and paid more quickly. This ensures a reliable flow of funds in health care.
Interconnected registration systems facilitate access to social benefits. This increases transparency for recipients as well as for the public institutions. Digital media can create a completely new level of transparency for government actions. But the ability to assess the veracity of notifications in digital media as well as the ability to defend against incidents, such as cyberbullying, is also becoming increasingly important. Special programmes will allow us to strengthen the media skills of people in development countries. We want to protect fundamental democratic rights, such as freedom of expression and the right to privacy, including on the internet.
Up to 70 per cent of all women become the victims of acts of violence during their life. The most common form of violence perpetrated against women in the world is domestic violence. Together with local groups and business, we are developing digital solutions to provide information as well as qualified and sensitive online advice for women who experience domestic violence in a family environment.
The age of digitalisation opens up opportunities for justice worldwide. In many countries the internet has already become the most important source for legal information. Particularly due to the, in some cases, insurmountable geographical distances to courts in many developing countries, digitalisation can be an important step towards greater access to justice. We are equipping legal systems so that litigants, lawyers as well as companies can find information about legal assistance, procedures and legal redress on the web. Applications can also be completed and court proceedings initiated online. Inside the courts, these processes are also supported by digital case management.
TruBudget is a blockchain-based application for reliable, transparent implementation of public investments in developing countries. TruBudget lets everyone inspect fund flows and trace them until they have been finally spent. It allows developing countries to manage external project financing themselves, making financial collaboration more effective and sustainable.
Together with the pan-African technology initiative Smart Africa, the BMZ is promoting a national approach to support the member states in developing effective, scalable, technology-based services (so-called ICT building blocks). Examples of concrete ICT building blocks include electronic registers, authentication and payment services or digital learning platforms. Each of these building blocks can be used variably in applications for different sectors.
