WCO visit to the GIZ
Berlin, 24 July 2012
Upon invitation from the German development co-operation agency GIZ **, the Deputy Director Capacity Building Heike Barczyk met with representatives of the GIZ in Berlin on 24 July 2012. This visit aimed at exchanging information on Customs-related Capacity Building approaches and activities, as well as exploring synergies and also areas of future co-operation. For already a number of years, this co-operation has mainly focused on the Master study programme for African students at the University of Münster (one of the key academic partners within the WCO PICARD Programme), that is financed by the German government, co-ordinated by the GIZ and the University of Münster, and contentwise, among others, also supported by the WCO and the German Customs administration.
Areas that were discussed in Berlin as potential areas of further co-operation and that were agreed to jointly look at more in depth during the coming months include the area of Leadership and Management Development, the use of the WCO Project Map Database as one means to avoid duplications and overlaps and to bring development partners and recipients together, regular mutual information on current activities, and the continuation of WCO support for the Master study programme mentioned above.
Regular working contacts, also with other sections of the GIZ, situated in Eschborn and Bonn, who are responsible for other Customs-related GIZ projects and programmes, have been agreed. The WCO is also very pleased to welcome the GIZ as a new Member of the WCO Virtual Working Group on Donor Co-ordination and Engagement. All participants in the discussions in Berlin found the exchange to be a good and motivating basis for the continuing co-operation between the WCO and the GIZ.
** The abbreviation GIZ stands for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (in English approximately: „German Society for International Co-operation“). The work of the GIZ is in most cases commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. In January 2011, the GIZ came into existence as a merger of 3 formerly separated German development cooperation agencies (GTZ, InWEnt and DED). Further information on the GIZ, its mandate and work areas can be found on their website: www.giz.de.