Foreword by the Management Board
Recognising upheaval and shaping change – GIZ can do both. We proved this once again in 2025, under difficult conditions.
In our work we can draw on more than just our own strengths, which is why the theme of this Integrated Company Report is together. We work together with our partners in Germany, in Team Europe and in partner countries around the globe; on behalf of the German Government and the European Union; with partners, businesses and financial institutions.
© GIZ / Gaby Gerster
‘Our close collaboration with the European Investment Bank and with national and regional development banks shows that the combination of technical and financial cooperation is an asset. The power to resolve global challenges is also bolstered with resources from the private sector.’
Support for German soft power
It is our conviction that international cooperation is the solution to wars, conflicts and crises around the globe. GIZ has a part to play. This is why, in 2025, we reaffirmed our commitment to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact to promote security, reconstruction and peace, education, food and nutrition security, climate action and biodiversity – in short to work towards a future worth living and to protect global goods.
Our staff, numbering around 24,000, work tirelessly to achieve this every day. Working directly with people on the ground in approximately 120 countries, they bring our partnerships to life and support German soft power globally. We extend our sincere thanks to them for their commitment, and in particular for their work in the many regions in crisis around the world.
Cooperation is in our mutual interest
International cooperation is also in our own interests, as prosperity in Germany and Europe is linked directly to our activities in other countries. Both our local partners and the German economy benefit when we support other countries – whether by helping recruit qualified skilled workers or by creating opportunities to tap into new markets. That is why GIZ involves the private sector closely in our work.
‘International cooperation and the promotion of foreign trade complement each other optimally. Together, they open up new opportunities for our partner countries and for Germany. To seize on these, GIZ is developing new offerings and ways to work with the private sector.’
Radical changes as a guide – partnerships as a foundation
Complex challenges, multilateral systems under pressure, less public funding – we recognise the changes occurring around us and use them to guide our further development and make GIZ focused and fit for the future. We made great strides in 2025, most notably advancing internal digitalisation and optimising processes.
Our aim is to focus on integrated solutions and amplify the results of our work, thereby remaining cost-effective and competitive. In so doing, we are careful not to lose sight of who we are in essence: a leader in shaping holistic change and sustainable development.
Strong partnerships are, and will continue to be, the very bedrock of our work – particularly in times of geopolitical tensions and upheaval. Long-term alliances make our work more effective by pooling and targeting funds and expertise. This allows us to have a broad impact and to employ additional resources – in support of the partner countries and people locally.
International cooperation ‘Made with Europe’
International cooperation must reconcile the imperatives of global solidarity, the protection of global public goods and the upholding of national interests. It is driven to an equal extent by values and interests. People, their freedom and the protection of our natural resources remain the focus of our work, in Germany, Europe and all around the world.
‘The expression “Made with Europe” is synonymous with shared values and high quality. It stands for sustainable results and partnerships from which everyone benefits – very much in the spirit of the Team Europe approach of “Standing stronger together”. At GIZ, we complement this through our long-standing local presence. This is how we build a foundation of knowledge, experience and trust – in us as a company and, above all, trust in Germany and Europe.’
Our thanks go to our shareholder, our commissioning parties and clients and all our partners who have supported us in 2025 and have trusted in our work for more than six decades. Together, let us pass on our firm belief in collaboration and the need for international cooperation. Only together can we shape a future worth living.
