The Federal Republic of Germany has been engaged in development cooperation since 1952. The growing importance of this field of policy and the complexity of this work led, in 1961, to the establishment of BMZ. BMZ draws up the German Government’s development policy guidelines and fundamental concepts lay down its long-term development cooperation strategies, defines the rules by which they are put into practice, and steers the field operations of German implementing agencies in programming, sectoral policies and the geographical allocation of funds. BMZ is guided in this by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The work of BMZ is subject to parliamentary control, and a specialist parliamentary Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development (AwZ) is responsible for this. BMZ is responsible for Germany’s contribution to multilateral organizations. This includes financial contributions to the European Development Fund, shares in the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the regional development banks, and support for the United Nations programmes and funds.

Since 2001, DEG has been a member of KfW Group and is, thus, an integral part of its international project activities such as exports finance and financial cooperation with developing countries. Its mission is to promote private enterprise initiatives in developing countries and countries undergoing reform. As a market-oriented investment and development company, DEG provides equity and risk capital to private business structures in partner countries of German development cooperation.

GIZ is an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The services delivered by GIZ draw on a wealth of regional and technical expertise and tried and tested management know-how. As a federal public sector enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. The GIZ Trade Programme provides advisory services to BMZ on international trade negotiations and the dissemination of tools and instruments for the mainstreaming of trade-related assistance in German development cooperation.

On behalf of the Federal Government, KfW Entwicklungsbank administers Germany’s official Financial Cooperation in more than 100 developing and transition countries in Africa, Asia, South and Central America, the Middle East and the Caucasus. Its priority areas of activity include poverty reduction and economic development, good governance, education and health care, and protection of the climate and the environment. In this way, the bank helps the Federal Government achieve its developmental goals. KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH is one of the leading funders of international projects and export finance. KfW Entwicklungsbank is part of the KfW Group and Germany’s leading development bank, cooperating with partners all over the world.

DIE is a multi-disciplinary think tank for German and multilateral development policy, mostly working for BMZ. It draws together the knowledge of development research available worldwide, dedicating its work to key issues facing the future of development policy. DIE is a partnership between the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

BGR is the central geoscientific authority providing advice to the German Federal Government in all geo-relevant questions and is a subordinate of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi). BGR advises BMZ in the fields of energy and mineral raw materials, groundwater, soil, usage of the deeper subsoil and risk analyses and carries out technical cooperation projects with developing countries, directly commissioned through BMZ.

Founded in 1980, CIM is largely financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), but other ministries, state and parastatal institutions, non-governmental organizations and the private sector also contribute to its programmes. CIM runs the Integrated Experts Programme, which places highly qualified experts from Germany and other EU countries with companies and organizations in developing and transition countries. It also runs the Returning Experts Programme, which provides advice and a placement service to individuals from developing countries, emerging economies and transition states, who have completed training courses in Germany, or are working in Germany but are interested in reintegrating into a career at home.

DAkkS is the German accreditation body and is, among other things, responsible for the accreditation of testing and research laboratories, of certification bodies and of inspection bodies in the voluntary area as well as for the accreditation of material-testing and chemical analytical bodies in Germany.

BAM is a senior scientific and technical Federal Institute with responsibility to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi). Among other things, BAM is active in the field of international technology transfer with a focus on conformity assessment, accreditation and management systems. Aims are the removal of technical barriers to trade by mutual recognition of accreditation of testing, calibration, certification and inspection bodies, assistance in partner countries for integration in regional and international trade systems and the increase of technical safety and reliability. The activities of BAM cover projects of technical co-operation financed by BMZ and its implementing organizations or by the European Commission as well as EU-funded projects on behalf of BMWi.

BAFA is a federal authority subordinated to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi). As a central import and export licensing authority, it is responsible for the administrative implementation of the Federal Government’s import and export control policy.

FES is a non-profit German political foundation committed to the advancement of public policy issues in the spirit of the core values of social democracy through education, research, and international cooperation. It helps with the preparation of free and fair elections, supports the decentralization of state structures and fosters economic and socio-political dialogue.

FNF is a non-profit German foundation for liberal politics. It promotes the principles of civic education, international political dialogues, and political counseling. The foundation has numerous offices in Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Its activities in the field of civic education consist of seminars, conferences, and publications aimed at promoting liberal values and principles. Its international political dialogue programme provides a discussion forum for a broad range of liberal issues. The foundation’s counseling programmes focus on candidates for political office, liberal political parties, and other democratic organizations.

The German Business Portal is the central contact platform that steers all inquiries about Germany through the right channels with the goal of making Germany and its domestic market more transparent to foreign companies interested in Germany as a location for their businesses. The website was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

The members of the German Chamber Network, the AHKs, are present in all countries of particular interest for German industry and commerce, providing services in support of both German and host country companies in the development of their business.

DIN develops norms and standards as a service to industry, the state and society as a whole. It is the acknowledged national standards body that represents German interests in European and international standards organizations. At the international level, its goal is to develop standards that have validity worldwide. This helps to remove technical barriers to trade and add to the exporting strength of German industry. DIN is also the WTO national enquiry point for technical barriers to trade.

DPMA is a service provider in the field of intellectual property (IP) protection in Germany with the duty of granting, registering, administering and publishing IP rights for technical and industrial innovations. At the interface between innovative ideas and their realization, the DPMA thus contributes significantly to securing the competitiveness of Germany as a location for business and industry. It cooperates with partners, authorities, and institutions involved in IP protection. Its activities in the national and international environments play a significant role in raising awareness of IP matters among the public and provide information on the growing significance of IP rights in the age of globalization.

This government agency advises foreign companies seeking to expand their business activities in the German market, and makes information on foreign trade available to German companies trying to tap into foreign markets. It provides comprehensive and client-oriented economic and industrial data as well as information about calls for proposals in foreign countries, investment and development projects, and legal and customs regulations.

Heinrich Böll Foundation is a political foundation with close ties to the German Green Party, working as a think tank for green visions and projects and is among other things active in the field of international cooperation. Its largest source of funding in this area is BMZ, for example, financing activities focusing on climate protection in developing and emerging countries. Additional project funding is received from the Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the EU.

KAS is a political foundation whose programmes aim at promoting liberty, peace, and justice and focus on consolidating democracy, on the unification of Europe and on the strengthening of transatlantic relations, as well as on development cooperation. As a think tank and consulting agency, KAS undertakes research and analysis in the spheres of politics, economy, science, and societal issues, and a number of research and policy discussions on globalization and international trade.

PTB is the German national metrology institute and the highest technical authority under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWI). It provides scientific and technical services, including conformity assessment services, though its certification body, and it works as an implementing agency for BMZ, performing TfA measures in the area of improving quality standards and sanitary and phytosanitary standards in developing countries.

For more information: http://www.ptb.de/cms/en/service-seiten/kontakt.html

For information on Certification Body: http://www.ptb.de/en/org/zs/

RLF is a political foundation in the intellectual current of democratic socialism and is committed to international cooperation and solidarity. The most important areas of international cooperation of RLF are social and democratic participation, empowering politically and socially disadvantaged groups, alternatives for social development, conflict prevention, and peaceful conflict resolution as well as the future of the EU. Toward these ends, RLF cooperates with different organizations, left and democratic socialist parties, trade unions, women’s organizations and the new social movements. RLF projects are funded by BMZ and the Federal Foreign Office (AA).

The Foundation of German Industry for International Cooperation (Stiftung der deutschen Wirtschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit) is a non-profit organization offering interested retirees the opportunity to pass on their skills and knowledge to others, both within Germany and abroad.

German AfT is coordinated by BMZ. Besides the bilateral German AfT programmes in the partner countries of German development cooperation, Germany participates in donors’ coordination efforts and is increasingly engaged in joint programming, analysis, and delivery. Germany also provides AfT support via multilateral organizations and partnerships such as the WTO (including through the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund), UNCTAD, ITC, EIF, and UNIDO.

The important goal of mutual accountability between donors and partner country governments in the area of AfT is supported by Germany’s involvement in developing and implementing the WTO / OECD’s AfT monitoring framework and the EU’s AfT monitoring and reporting practices.

Germany will host a new UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO), to be established in 2017 on the UN Campus in the city of Bonn. The Bonn office will be part of UNIDO’s currently 8 ITPOs in various industrialized and developing countries. It is the intention of ITPO offices to bring the private sector of the host country (or region) in direct contact with information about the business climate, the trade and investment possibilities in developing countries. The services of ITPO will be useful for developing countries as well since visiting delegations from their governments, private sector companies and their associations can inform themselves about the state of technology in Germany, particularly in environmentally sound and sustainable technologies, and also about Germany’s policies in economics, trade and investment promotion. In this way, ITPOs work for mutual benefits.

Furthermore, within its multilateral trade portfolio, Germany finances projects implemented by UNCTAD. The aim of the projects is to enhance the trade capacities of developing countries with the focus on the implementation of the WTO TRIPS Agreement as well as the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

Germany is also a member of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) partnership of the Least Developed Countries, Donor Countries and international organizations and supports AfT in LDC via its contributions to the EIF Trust Fund

Germany furthermore financially supports and partners with the International Trade Center (ITC), with the aim of strengthening SME competitiveness in developing countries and fostering sustainable development.