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Newsletter July 2010
Content
Editorial
"Development cooperation, which stands for freedom, must not reinforce dependencies but rather liberate people from them. The point is to help people to help themselves."
German Development Minister Dirk Niebel
Dear Readers,
In its coalition agreement, the German government declared its aim of reforming, within the first year of its parliamentary term, the structures of the organisations implementing Germany’s development cooperation policies. German Development Minister Dirk Niebel and State Secretary Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz have now presented a general outline of the reform to the public.
Abroad, the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan have initiated important steps to bring greater stability to their region. Development Minister Niebel visited both countries in June and encouraged them to continue to pursue the path of reform. Niebel promised that Germany would support their endeavours.
During a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Niebel stressed that a stable environment was a prerequisite for prospects of peace in the region.
Read more about these topics and about other news relating to the BMZ’s work during the past month in this Newsletter.
Your BMZ Internet Editors
Afghanistan and Pakistan are important partners for stability in the region
In early June, Development Minister Dirk Niebel visited Afghanistan and Pakistan. During his visit, he was able to gain a very valuable impression of Germany’s efforts to help bring stability to the region. His discussions with development experts and representatives of government, civil society and the armed forces centred on how cooperation in this field could be intensified. It was vital, he said, that the two countries reached agreement on common goals for stabilising the region.
"In the recent past, Afghanistan and Pakistan have launched reforms that are important steps toward greater stability and better prospects for the future. Germany expressly encourages both countries to continue to pursue their reform policies. I have offered them our support in that endeavour", declared Niebel after his visit.
Niebel on visit to the Middle East concludes stable environment is prerequisite for prospects of peace
Israel and the Palestinian territories were stops on Development Minister Dirk Niebel’s trip to the Middle East from 19 to 22 June 2010. In talks with Israel’s government, Niebel discussed deepening development cooperation within the framework of trilateral cooperation measures. In Jerusalem, Niebel was also invited to meet Israel’s President Shimon Peres for an exchange of ideas.
Niebel’s visit to the Palestinian territories follows up on the establishment of a German-Palestinian Steering Committee that took place in Berlin on 18 May. The Committee supports the efforts of the Palestinian Authority to establish state structures. "A stable environment that fosters security and economic development in the Palestinian territories is a vital prerequisite for prospects of peace in the region", said Niebel.
General outline of reforms to structure of technical cooperation organisations announced
In its coalition agreement, the German government set itself the aim of carrying out organisational and structural reforms with a view to increasing the effectiveness of German development policy and improving the targeting of aid. Development Minister Dirk Niebel and State Secretary Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz presented a general outline of the reform to the public on 15 June.
The three organisations of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Capacity Building International, Germany (InWEnt) and the German Development Service (DED) will soon be merged into a single organisation. The merger of these organisations is to take place in a spirit of a partnership between equals; although development policy instruments will be bundled to make them more efficient, the variety of instruments will remain under the new organisation.
Mobilising more private investment for climate protection measures in partner countries
"Financing climate protection in developing countries and threshold countries" was the topic of a two-day conference hosted by the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW development bank). The aim of the conference was to discuss which framework conditions were necessary and which instruments – both proven and innovative – existed to help mobilise greater private investment in climate protection measures in the partner countries of German development cooperation. State Secretary Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz stressed on the occasion of the conference: "Frequently, there is a shortfall in the funding of such projects." That is why the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) promotes private-sector investments in renewable energies and energy efficiency measures in developing and threshold countries by providing low-interest loans. As part of the "Initiative for Climate and Environmental Protection" (IKLU) the BMZ, together with the KfW development bank, is providing 2.4 billion euros in development loans for the period 2008-2011.
Networked security: gearing development, foreign and defence policies to common goals
German Development Minister Dirk Niebel took part on 25 June in the closing event for the participants of the 2010 Course on Security Policy at the Federal College for Security Studies. "We can only achieve peace and security in the world if we work together across policy fields as we make plans and take action. We need fora such as the Federal College for Security Studies to fill the principle of networked security – to which we have committed ourselves in our coalition agreement – with life."
Niebel, Kopp and Beerfeltz exchange ideas with civil society organisations
The UN summit to evaluate progress on the Millennium Development Goals planned for New York this October was the focus of a discussion that Parliamentary State Secretary Gudrun Kopp and State Secretary Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz had in Berlin with the board and chief executive of the Association of German Development NGOs (VENRO). They also discussed ways of involving Germany’s private sector to a greater extent in development cooperation.
On the occasion of a breakfast prayer meeting during the 15th International Berlin Encounter, Development Minister Dirk Niebel, too, stressed the importance of working with the private sector, the Churches and the political foundations. In front of more than 300 guests, Niebel stated on the subject of freedom: "As a member of the Liberal party, I consider liberty a core value. That is why I find it hard to bear when poverty and bad governance deprive people of the freedom to educate themselves, to work, to maintain their health and to provide for themselves. Unfortunately, the majority of the world's population is deprived of this freedom. Development cooperation, which stands for freedom, must not reinforce dependencies but rather liberate people from them. The point is to help people to help themselves."
Gudrun Kopp congratulates winners of "All for One World – One World for All" schools competition
More than 12,700 pupils throughout Germany took part this year in the schools competition on development policy sponsored by the country’s President. A jury selected eighteen of the best entries on the topic of "Preserving our world – shaping our future!". Gudrun Kopp, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and Hans-Jürgen Wolff, State Secretary in the Federal President’s Office, presented some 200 pupils from the winning schools with their awards in Bellevue Palace in Berlin on 23 June. Ms Kopp encouraged the participants to continue to be active in support of the "One World" campaign, saying: "Your entries to the competition show that one does not need to be a politician or a pop star to take a hand in shaping our "one world". We should not let the size of the challenge put us off."
Aigner and Niebel call for stronger support for rural development in developing countries
Development Minister Dirk Niebel and Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner intend to intensify the cooperation between their two ministries. At a meeting in Berlin, they agreed to pursue closer cooperation in the areas of development policy and world food affairs. After the meeting, Niebel said: "Feeding a growing world population represents an enormous challenge. In order to make an effective German contribution, we must pool our resources within the Federal Government and make best use of them."
In international cooperation, G8 provides impetus for development policy
In June, the G8 under Canada’s Presidency presented the first comprehensive accountability report on the implementation in the last few years of the G8’s commitments in the area of development policy. German Development Minister Dirk Niebel said "The report underlines the important role of the G8 as a forum providing important impetus for the international development agenda. It shows that the G8 have launched many successful initiatives and honoured most of their commitments."
Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Development Ministry, Gudrun Kopp, took part in the annual Tidewater Meeting in St. Michaels in the USA to discuss new avenues in international development policy. Ms Kopp took the opportunity for exchanges with high-ranking government representatives and executives from major bilateral and multilateral development organisations.
