Germany considers its collaboration with Latin America crucial in an increasingly multipolar world.
Unemployment reality goes beyond the Atlantic and there is a prevalent informal economy with poor working conditions affecting families, women and children. According to Statista Research Department, the Latin American country with the highest unemployment rate among the nations was Costa Rica, with around 13 percent of its economically active population being unemployed.
In July 2023, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) presented its strategy for strengthen cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean in Berlin. Federal Minister for Development Svenja Schulze highlighted the importance of global interdependence, stressing that international cooperation is essential to combating climate change. Consequently, Germany aims to promote an environmentally friendly economy and achieve a carbon-neutral society, with equal rights for women as a cornerstone of global development.
The BMZ’s approach focuses on fostering a socio-ecological and just transformation of the economy, strengthening the rights of women and girls, and promoting good governance, peace, and democracy. To achieve these objectives, the BMZ proposes reform projects to regional governments, emphasizing dialogue and cooperative engagement. In this context, the BMZ aligns its cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean in areas of mutual interest, notably the transition to a climate-neutral economy through the promotion of renewable energies and the phasing out of fossil fuels.
The BMZ works closely with six countries in the region: Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru, addressing global challenges and pursuing long-term development goals. This cooperation is realized through various instruments, such as bilateral technical and financial cooperation, as well as participation in European and multilateral initiatives like the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, which aims to promote digitization for a more sustainable economy.
Germany also supports the creation of alternative employment opportunities and the necessary training for the energy transition. For instance, in Brazil, efforts are on go to transform forest use to reduce deforestation.
Another key aspect of this cooperation is the reduction of inequality, with a focus on equitable representation and the strengthening of political reforms that benefit society as a whole. An example of this is the BMZ’s support to Colombia in implementing policies against gender violence, including collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to finance reforms in this area.
In addition to these initiatives, the BMZ supports innovative educational projects. For example, the Enuma School in the Caribbean and the Dry Corridor, funded by the IDB, addresses the educational needs of children from diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, in Peru, an interactive application has been developed to promote the learning of indigenous languages among students in rural areas with limited connectivity, allowing them to use the app offline.
These initiatives reflect the BMZ’s commitment to comprehensive and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean, addressing both the socioeconomic and environmental challenges of the region
https://www.bmz.de/resource/blob/164914/230712-pm-lateinamerika-spanisch.pdf
https://www.bmz.de/resource/blob/164884/positionspapier-en-lateinamerika.pdf