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GIZ's secret weapon: How can it help improve people's quality of life?
The German International Cooperation (GIZ) is a high-profile organization dedicated to the promotion and implementation of international development cooperation. Since its establishment, GIZ has played an important role on a global scale, making outstanding contributions in eradicating poverty, promoting sustained growth, and improving people's quality of life. So where does GIZ’s success come from? How does it realize its ambitions and improve the quality of life of people around the world?
GIZ's self-declared goal is to provide effective solutions that give people better prospects and continuously improve their living conditions.
The structure and operation of GIZ
GIZ was founded in 2011 from the merger of three original German development organizations. These organizations include the German Development Service (DED), the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the International Institute for Continuing Education and Development (InWEnt). This merger not only improves GIZ's efficiency and effectiveness, but also lays a solid foundation for its future development.
GIZ is headquartered in Bonn and Eschborn, Germany, and has offices throughout the country. Its operating model is a limited liability company under German legal form, with a management board responsible for daily operations. The committee consists of the two executive directors, Torsten Schiffer-Gumbel and Ingrid-Gabriella Hoffen.
Core activity: Capacity building
GIZ's core business is capacity building, which is an integral part of its international cooperation. In this way, GIZ not only provides technical support but also helps build solutions that are suitable for the local environment.
The global agenda that GIZ is involved in includes South-South cooperation, that is, bilateral cooperation between developing countries and emerging economies.
GIZ’s cooperation with other institutions
GIZ works closely with the German government-owned development bank KfW, which is responsible for financial cooperation projects in economic cooperation. This division of labor ensures coordination between technical cooperation and financial cooperation, thereby effectively improving the overall effectiveness of the project.
Integrity and challenges
Despite its contribution to development, GIZ still faces many challenges and criticisms. For example, after Germany withdrew its troops from Afghanistan in 2021, GIZ's new local personnel recruitment policy caused controversy. Critics believed that this showed the agency's inappropriate behavior in dealing with sensitive issues.
The German Audit Office pointed out that GIZ lacks sufficient data to assess the distortion of its economic benefits, causing management problems.
Future Outlook
Today, when environmental protection and sustainable development are becoming more and more important, how GIZ adjusts its strategies to adapt to new challenges will be the key to future development. GIZ is also actively involved in the establishment of SuRe® – the standard for sustainable and resilient infrastructure, which demonstrates its commitment to sustainable development.
These achievements not only demonstrate GIZ's important role in the field of international development, but also highlight its future potential in promoting global social responsibility and cooperation. As globalization deepens, how to use these international cooperation resources more effectively will become a common challenge faced by all countries?
