The [digital.global] launch, the kick-off event for the strategic realignment of the BMZ’s digital policy, took place on December 1. The event was attended by almost 30 high-level speakers and over 300 invited guests on site, as well as over 1100 participants in the livestream. The impressions from keynotes, panels and workshops clearly showed that a social-ecological, feminist digital transformation can only succeed on an international level if we work together. And: development policy should play a leading role in the German government’s future international digital strategy.
To ensure that this succeeds, together with the two implementing organizations KfW and GIZ, the foundation stone was laid here for the new development policy network [digital.global], which brings together digital expertise in German development cooperation. It brings together experts from partner countries and from the German digital scene and combines existing cooperation formats such as Make IT Alliance, digilab, Lab of Tomorrow, Business Scouts, digital centers and others.
BMZ strengthens partnerships
[digital.global] Network
Federal Minister Svenja Schulze, together with Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, Spokesman of the Board, GIZ, and Stefan Wintels, CEO of KfW, announce the launch of the new network for Digital Transformation in Development Cooperation.
EQUALS Global Partnership
Federal Minister Svenja Schulze and Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General-elect of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), announce joint action to close the digital gender gap with the EQUALS Global Partnership.
MOU GovStack Initiative
Maksym Shkilov (Ukraine), Federal Minister Svenja Schulze (BMZ), Nele Leosk (Estonia) and Valerya Ionan (Ukraine) (from left to right) announce a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the GovStack Initiative between BMZ, Estonia and Ukraine.
Team Europe Initiative for Twin Transition
Together with Marjeta Jager (EU), the BMZ announces a Team Europe Initiative with the aim of driving a green and digital transformation, the Twin Transition. The goal of the European initiative – in which Germany and Sweden are leading – is to support partner countries in shaping a sustainable digital transformation.
Joint Statement with Smart Africa
Lacina Koné (Smart Africa), Federal Minister Svenja Schulze (BMZ) and Dr. Bärbel Kofler (BMZ) sign a joint declaration on strategic cooperation between BMZ and Smart Africa.
Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development © BPA / Steffen Kugler
In digital policy, Germany itself is still partly a developing country. Here, too, we can learn a lot from the countries of the Global South. And we Europeans share a common interest with many developing countries: We want to become more independent when it comes to digital solutions. After all, digital sovereignty is increasingly becoming a basic prerequisite for good development. The BMZ’s offer to our partner countries is a digital policy that strives for a genuine balance of interests and is at the same time underpinned by European standards.
Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Development and Cooperation, BMZ
New networks, strengthened partnerships and the same intentions – together they are now setting out to shape the digital transformation: socially, economically and feministically.
