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The GIZ Story Portal

Welcome to the GIZ Story Portal. We invite you to explore GIZ’s work worldwide, get to know fascinating people, and learn about leading experts’ views on crucial topics in international cooperation.

A man in a dark blue zip-up sweater sits with folded hands in a modern, plant-filled office, calmly looking at the camera.
Portrait

Remaining steadfast

Why former football star Neven Subotic has been interested in water issues in Africa for years, and why he considers fundamental criticism of international cooperation excessive.
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Ein Mann pflügt mit einem Ochsen ein schlammiges Feld. Der Mann ist barfuß und trägt T-Shirt und kurze Hose.
Background

Global poverty: just how unfair is the world?

Crises, conflicts and less money for development hit the poorest hardest. The gap between rich and poor continues to grow.
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Two men in suits greet each other in a modern building with an escalator in the background during a formal meeting.
Interview

‘A Decade of Trust and Cooperation between ASEAN, Germany and Europe’

Germany and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been development partners since 2016. In our exclusive interview, H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, talks about the deepened cooperation, which is supported by long-standing partners such as GIZ.
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Spotlight on digitalisation

Feature

Digital teamwork

In countries of the Global South and in fragile contexts, digital solutions are emerging that are setting international standards. Germany can learn from experience gained with GovStack, for example, when developing its digital government architecture.

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Report

Learning with India: AI language assistants for digital inclusion

When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), German and Indian interests are aligned. A visit to the subcontinent highlights why it is essential for AI systems to be trained in multiple languages.

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A group of women wearing white coats walk together along a street, led by a woman in brown clothing, with a blurred building in the background.
Interview

‘Our work is not a one-way street’

Artificial intelligence can promote development and create new jobs – provided it is used responsibly, explains Bärbel Kofler, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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Portrait of a smiling older woman with dark shoulder-length hair and a black top in front of a bright red background.

Introducing: Faces of GIZ

Portrait of a man with short gray hair and a well-groomed beard. He is wearing a white shirt and a dark jacket. The man is smiling friendly at the camera, with a neutral, light background.

Hello from Sarajevo

My name is Oliver Janser and I am the Programme Manager and overall coordinator of the EU4FAST security programme in the Western Balkans.
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Portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length brown-gray hair, red earring, glasses, and a white blazer in front of a blurred outdoor green background.

Hello from Bagdad

My name is Karina Frainer and I have headed up GIZ’s local governance programme in Iraq since 2025.
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Portrait of a smiling man with short brown hair in a white shirt, standing in front of a mural reading “Low Carbon Sea Transport” with a stylized sailboat graphic.

Hello from Majuro

My name is Raffael Held, I am 36 years old and have been living and working on the Marshall Islands for eight years.
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Signs of the circular economy

A woman crouches on a beach at sunset next to a bag filled with collected cans and plastic bottles, looking out at the sea.
Marine conservation in Mexico also benefits the seas in Europe: ocean currents connect the oceans, meaning that microplastics and litter are carried around the globe. The Mexican state of Oaxaca is particularly hard hit by the plastic crisis due to urbanisation, population growth and landfill sites near rivers. On behalf of the German Federal Environment Ministry, GIZ has been working there with local authorities and the fisheries and tourism sectors. As a result, plastic consumption by participating hotels has reduced by a third. The lessons learned in Oaxaca are being incorporated into Mexico’s circular economy strategy.
© GIZ
Two men smiling while examining a computer motherboard at an e-waste market.
A blueprint for a genuine circular economy: in the ‘Computer Village’ in Nigeria’s megacity Lagos, local traders collect discarded laptops, PCs and mobile phones. The valuable materials are then sent to professional recyclers. In return, the traders receive a bonus already been factored into the price when a new device is sold in the Global North. The motto is: ‘Put one on the market, recycle one.’ GIZ developed the model together with partners.
© George Osodi/GIZ
Close-up of gloved hands using a screwdriver to disassemble an electronic circuit board from a discarded device.
What began as a pilot project for the circular economy in Nigeria’s ‘Computer Village’ has since become a model for how proper recycling can be financed. The PREVENT Waste Alliance shares these experiences and expertise with circular economy specialists worldwide. The PREVENT Secretariat is managed by GIZ. The Alliance comprises organisations from the academic sector, civil society, public institutions and the private sector – for example, German waste management companies.
© George Osodi/GIZ
A diver with an underwater light hovers above a colourful coral reef featuring orange, red and pink corals.
Protecting underwater treasures: preserving marine biodiversity is crucial for the global climate, because the oceans absorb large quantities of CO₂. In South-East Asia, GIZ is working alongside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to protect the oceans and coral reefs. Marine biodiversity is particularly rich in the region, but is simultaneously threatened by plastic waste that flows from land into the ocean.
© picture alliance/Reinhard Dirscherl
A group of women in orange high-visibility vests sorting plastic waste together at an outdoor collection point.
GIZ is assisting ASEAN member states in working together to tackle the problem of marine litter. Lessons learned from local pilot projects are being shared, which will then contribute to the protection of the entire Indo-Pacific maritime region. The total coastline of the ASEAN states is approximately 130,000 kilometres.
© 3RproMar/GIZ
Top-down view of closely arranged green and yellow glass bottles illuminated from below.
From waste to recyclable material: in Albania, glass bottles are not usually recycled. On behalf of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, GIZ is supporting the Western Balkan country in establishing a circular economy – a step in the EU accession process. Bottles are systematically recycled or upcycled into filter materials.
© iStock/Rafa Jodar
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