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Latin America and Caribbean
Brazil is the largest and most important country in South America in terms of size, population and economic power. The country’s influence on the world stage has also increased in recent years. Brazil counts as the world’s eighth largest economy and is actively involved in shaping international politics. Since the advent of democracy in 1988, Brazil has had to cope with a few crises. However, all in all, the country is developing positively on the political, economic and social front. It is changing from a developing country into a fully-fledged industrial nation.
Brazil is now one of the major players in international politics – for example within the United Nations and the G-20, and with respect to the global trade system and international efforts to address climate change and environmental protection. Because of its key role in the political and economic development of Latin America, Brazil is one of the anchor countries of German development cooperation.
The incomes of various segments of Brazil’s population have gone up considerably in recent years. During President Lula da Silva’s term in office (2003 to 2010), 14 million new jobs with social insurance were created and comprehensive economic and social programmes were launched. Per capita income has more than trebled in the past twenty years. At the same time, the proportion of people living in absolute poverty has shrunk from fifteen to five per cent. The country’s new President, Dilma Rousseff, formerly a minister in the Office of President Lula da Silva and, like him, a member of the workers’ party “Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT)”, intends to continue these policies.
Despite these improvements, regional disparities and social inequalities remain huge. The south and southeast of the country are much like any other industrial nation; however, living conditions in the north (Amazon region) and northeast are, in many respects, more like those of a developing country. The differences in income are amongst the largest in the world, and land ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few large landowners. Corruption, bureaucratic red tape and inefficiency in the public sector are further obstacles to Brazil’s achieving sustainable development. The political classes have a very poor reputation amongst large parts of the population.
One of the major challenges facing Brazil, as well as the international community, is how to stimulate further economic growth whilst halting the increasing destruction of the natural environment – for the Amazon rainforest is the biggest contiguous forest area in the world and plays an important role in regulating the global climate.
Development cooperation
Germany and Brazil have been engaged in development cooperation for nearly 50 years now. In 2006, Germany and Brazil restructured their development cooperation in order to better reflect the level of development Brazil has achieved and its increased global and regional importance. The overarching goals of their cooperation are the mitigation of climate change and the conservation of biodiversity. The priority areas of cooperation agreed on are the protection of tropical forests and the promotion of renewable energies and energy efficiency. The German government’s goal is to develop its cooperation activities with Brazil into a strategic partnership. In May 2008, the two countries agreed an action plan to that effect. Playing an ever greater role in this context is triangular cooperation on development projects involving Germany, Brazil and third countries in South America or Africa.
German Embassy
German Embassy in Brazil
SES - Avenida das Nações
Quadra 807, lote 25
70415-900 Brasília - DF
Brazil
Phone: 00 55 / 61 / 34 42 70 00
Fax: 00 55 / 61 / 34 43 75 08
