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Cooperation with the private sector
Chambers and business associations - identifying shared strengths
Dialogue between governments and the private sector is a key element of development cooperation. Both parties can benefit from this process and bring their own experience and knowledge to bear. Trade associations, chambers of crafts and other professional associations are partners of German development policy. They can make a big contribution at local level to improving the economic climate.
One goal of German development policy is to establish stable social market economies, as they are an essential component of peaceful and sustainable development. That is why the BMZ promotes private-sector initiatives engaged in promoting the free market economy, for example by helping to build organisational structures. To this end, within the context of cooperation with civil society German associations and other private-sector organisations cooperate with partner organisations in countries - for example with local chambers of commerce, and trade and small business associations.
By getting organised, the private sector in developing countries can help to eliminate red tape and combat corruption. Building up networks that provide members with information and represent their interests to outsiders boosts the competitiveness of SMEs in particular. In the German private sector there are two organisations, SEQUA and the Senior Expert Service (SES), which are actively involved in development cooperation projects.
SEQUA supports business associations and chambers in developing countries in establishing and networking local and regional organisations. So far the company (in some cases with the BMZ's support) has successfully realised almost 600 projects in more than 100 countries. The BMZ also cooperates with SEQUA in development partnerships with the private sector.
The SES is a foundation that receives financial support from the German private sector and especially from the BMZ. For more than 25 years it has been seconding retired professionals and managers to German development cooperation's partner countries. The experts are employed for a period of between three weeks and six months, mainly in small and medium-sized enterprises, though also in public administrations. In 2009 alone, SES provided support in a total of 1,596 assignments.
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