16.02.2011 - GIZ - Celebrating the Merger of German Technical Co-operation in Namibia
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| Embassy of the Federal |
|---|---|
| GIZ | Office Windhoek |
On February 16th, 2011, the staff of the newly-formed GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) office at Windhoek officially celebrated the merger of German Technical Co-operation in Namibia and welcomed their incoming country director, Mr Friedrich von Kenne. Countrywide, a total of 120 employees are working for GIZ – among them a large number of foreign experts, but also a rising proportion (currently 60) of local staff.
During the one day event, Mr von Kenne and Mr Matthias Hansen, Acting Head of Mission of the German Embassy Windhoek, informed the public of the organisational reform process which German Development Co-operation has undergone on a global scale since mid of last year. That process culminated at the beginning of 2011 when the German Government formally merged the three organisations which, so far, had implemented German Technical Co-operation abroad, i.e. DED (Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst), GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit), and InWent (Capacity Building International). The various competences and long-term experience of those organisations are now bundled, and all projects of technical co-operation are now carried out by one single new organisation, GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). The aim is for German Co-operation to become more effective and efficient and even more geared towards the needs of the partner countries.
GIZ is a state-owned company based in Germany comprising about 17.000 employees who operate in more than 130 countries worldwide. With an annual turnover of approximately 1.9 billion Euro (approx. 18.5 billion N$) the GIZ is a „global player in development“ and well prepared for the challenges ahead. The Federal German Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates the annual savings generated by the merger in the medium term at about 10 million Euro. The objective is to invest those benefits into future projects with the partner countries.
Development partnership – in the shape of both technical and financial co-operation - has been a crucial part of the bilateral relations between Germany and Namibia ever since her independence in 1990, the aim being to support the policy of national reconciliation by sustainably fighting poverty. Whilst the three focal areas of bilateral co-operation are currently transport, promotion of economic development, and management of natural resources, substantial contributions are also being made to the improvement of Namibia's power supply by means of renewable energies, and to the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
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Note:
Please find here more information by the German Ambassador to Namibia, Mr Egon Kochanke, on the merger of German Technical Co-operation into GIZ in the specific context of German-Namibian relations.
