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.
For a long time, digital innovation was viewed as a one-way street from the Global North to the South. This image is outdated. In countries of the Global South, as well as in fragile contexts such as Ukraine, digital hubs have emerged in recent years. With the backing of committed tech communities, government reforms and targeted investments, AI-based solutions are often developed there that have significance far beyond the local context.
GIZ is actively building on this momentum. It supports partner countries in establishing digital infrastructure, incorporating artificial intelligence, disseminating innovation and applying international standards. At the same time, GIZ creates links to Germany and Europe to facilitate a mutually beneficial transfer of knowledge, as these examples show:
Digital hubs
Use the links to find out more about examples of cooperation.
Learning with India: AI language assistants for digital inclusion
When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), German and Indian interests are aligned.
‘Making jurisprudence accessible to all with AI’
An AI tool that enables broad access to legal knowledge: Emily Watson from GIZ’s team at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights explains how it works.
‘Ukrainian models serve as a blueprint for other countries’
Learning from Ukraine’s digital transformation: Lena Lázaro Rüther from the international initiative GovStack explains how this works.
Effective climate action using AI
Kenya is establishing a digital carbon market infrastructure. This also offers more transparency for investments in climate protection projects.
Ukraine has established itself as a digital pioneer despite the Russian war of aggression. One example of this is ‘Diia’, the central government app. Its name means ‘action’. It was developed before Russia's full-scale invasion. During the war, it was further expanded to offer people reliable state services during these difficult times. For example, Ukrainians can use the app to report damage caused by Russian army shelling without bureaucratic hurdles and apply for financial assistance with reconstruction. This can be done quickly and without having to undertake long, dangerous journeys.
The GovStack global initiative has further developed ‘Diia’ with Ukraine for the international market. The idea behind it is to offer blueprints for digital, citizen-centred administrations that meet international standards and can be adapted for the respective country – and by doing so, making digital sovereignty tangible for every country. ‘We want to share our experiences worldwide with GovStack and Eurasia Foundation,’ says Valeriya Ionan, advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation.
‘Other countries can take a look at our Diia Global showcase and adapt it to their own digital challenges. It’s about providing governments with a practical tool: a model that can serve as a basis for building or modernising their own digital systems.’
GIZ works with partners to implement the international GovStack initiative. It was created by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Estonia, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Digital Impact Alliance foundation.
Germany already follows the GovStack design standards. The team is also currently in discussions with the German Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation (BMDS) to set up a German stack. ‘If Germany’s own digital infrastructure is able to connect at international level, this also provides geostrategic added value for Germany,’ says Andrea Donath, who is responsible for GovStack at GIZ. This networking, independent of dominant players such as the USA or China, offers a competitive advantage, particularly in economic cooperation with partner countries.
Effective climate action using AI
Digital infrastructure is currently emerging in Kenya that will pave the way for reliable trading in carbon certificates at international level. At the centre of this is the new National Carbon Registry (NCR), which GIZ assisted in setting up and was launched in February 2026. Kenya uses the registry to systematically and transparently compile climate action projects whose CO₂ emissions are traded internationally. For countries like Kenya, selling certificates opens up sources of income for further climate action. The certificates are beneficial for governments and European companies as a means for offsetting emissions.
At the same time, the registry provides precisely the structured, reliable data that is essential for using AI. Building on the Kenyan model, GIZ is currently working with partners to develop a transferable carbon registry for other African countries as a public digital asset. In the future, AI-based tools will enable countries to develop or adapt their own legally compliant registries within a short space of time.
Helping AI speak all languages
In India, the focus is on a different issue: how can artificial intelligence reach as many people as possible? This requires the creation of multilingual AI language assistants. The BMZ initiative FAIR Forward, which is implemented by GIZ, worked together with academia, civil society and the government to achieve this.
The result is AI applications that improve the living conditions of local people, and at the same time benefit global research. In an interview, Dr Simon Ostermann from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) emphasised the knowledge gained through cooperation with India: ‘Projects like this contribute directly in further developing fundamental AI methods.’
AI for better access to jurisprudence
In Latin America, GIZ has developed Themis IA, an AI-supported tool, together with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The tool uses language processing to systematically evaluate the court’s case law. Interested parties can easily access it.
Unlike traditional search engines, Themis IA understands the legal context. The tool identifies standards and precedents and therefore contributes to greater clarity in jurisprudence. With several thousand hits per month, the platform is already being used extensively by the judiciary, academia and the public.
The model can be transferred internationally, including to regional human rights courts in Europe and Africa, and shows how AI can be used responsibly to strengthen the rule of law, transparency and access to justice.
