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2023

A blue and yellow flag bearing the words “I stand with Ukraine” flies outside the Kongresshalle am Zoo conference centre in Leipzig.

Reconstruction in Ukraine starts now!

Bonn, 15 December 2023. The restoration of the destroyed infrastructure in Ukraine has already begun. Managing this process makes investing in human resources and wide-ranging reforms absolutely essential. By continuing this process, Ukraine has a unique opportunity to align reconstruction with the requirements of becoming a member of the EU. And city-to-city partnerships can play an important role in this

People sitting at a long table chatting.

Strong partnerships to power reconstruction

Bonn, 1 December 2023. Ukraine needs strong municipalities - that was one of the messages of the sixth German-Ukrainian municipal partnership conference in Leipzig. This is true for the current war situation as well as for reconstruction. We have captured voices that demonstrate the importance given to German-Ukrainian cooperation at the local level and that highlight the fields of successful and trustful cooperation.

Graphics: Two cities balance on a pair of scales. They are symbolically holding hands.

Strengthen your municipal partnership with an expert

Bonn, 30 November 2023. Our cooperation program "Experts Fund for Municipal Partnerships Worldwide" actively promotes municipal friendship beyond national borders. It supports through the assignment of an expert who is actively involved in the implementation of joint projects in the partner municipality in the Global South. Take advantage of the opportunities offered by our program and send your Declaration of Interest!

Several people look upwards; buildings and flags in the background.

Leipzig-Kyiv: a dynamic partnership in troubled times

Bonn, 11 November 2023. The city of Leipzig is hosting the sixth German-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Conference in November 2023 with the aim of strengthening the network of German-Ukrainian municipal partnerships and sending a signal of solidarity. It can look back on a long-standing partnership with the capital of Ukraine: 62 years, with a change of political systems and an unbroken civic commitment that has always characterised the cooperation and willingness to help on both sides of the partnership.

Gruppenfoto der Teilnehmenden der Asienkonferenz 2023 in Hildesheim

Unity and Diversity: German and Asian Municipalities Conference in Hildesheim

Bonn, 30 October 2023. How can urban and rural areas adapt to the challenges imposed by climate change and achieve climate resilience? More than 80 participants from German and Asian municipalities were motivated to address this question at the partnership conference in Hildesheim. Though they could hardly have been more diverse, there was a strong consensus that the time spent together was a great experience and motivation for future engagement.

Three women and two men in semi-portraits.

Hildesheim – Padang: „What matters is the strong commitment!“

Bonn, 14 September 2023. From September 26 to 28, 2023, the sister cities of Hildesheim and Padang (Indonesia) will host the German-Asian Municipal Partnership Conference. In the run-up to the event, we spoke to Oliver Rösner and Erwin M., who, as representatives of their municipalities, maintain trustful contact with each other. In our interview, they told us what makes their long-standing municipal partnership particularly successful.

Understanding German local governance structures

Bonn, 15 August 2023. Municipalities from all over the world are cooperating with their German counterparts and jointly implementing projects at the local level. In order to understand which tasks and duties German municipalities actually carry out and in which areas they rely on superordinate government levels, it is helpful to know the administrative structures in Germany. A new publication helps German partner municipalities learn more about the specifics of German local government.

Utility partnerships: The key to a water-secure future

Bonn, 19 July 2023. In order to ensure access to safe drinking water supplies and functioning wastewater disposal in communities in the Global South, municipal water supply and sanitation companies from Germany, Jordan, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania and Ukraine have joined forces since 2019 to form utility partnerships. We take a look at the numerous projects that have now been successfully implemented.

Several people, some wearing high-visibility waistcoats, stand in front of a two-storey shell.

Securing medical care in Lebanon

Bonn, 23 June 2023. Lebanon is currently experiencing the worst economic crisis in its history. The provision of public services, also due to the influx of refugees, poses major problems for the small town of Al Mohammara, in the north of the country. The partner communities of Al Mohammara and Opfenbach in Allgäu are therefore working together to build a medical primary care centre to alleviate the hardship of the local population and refugees.

“There´s no easy solution for the traffic system in Harare”

Bonn, 6 June 2023. Instead of writing mails Ana Cortes very often talks to the people. She does that not only why she likes it – a local expert in Harare she often has to work without internet. In the interview she talks about working in two offices and why she a central figure in the municipal partnership between Munich and Harare, Zimbabwe. Ana Cortes supports the traffic and transport department of the city of Harare since January 2022 and aims to strengthen its capacities at various levels.

OECD Roundtable on Cities and Regions for the SDGs

Bonn, 11 April 2023. 2023 offers unprecedented momentum to advance the contribution of cities and regions to the SDGs. In July 2023, the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will feature an in-depth review of the progress on SDG11 (Sustainable cities and communities), including in terms of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Building a primary healthcare centre in challenging times

Bonn, 23 May 2023. While Lebanon is going through the worst economic crisis in its history, the Lebanese municipality of Al Mohammara and Opfenbach in Allgäu was jointly decided in 2022 to support the establisment of a primary healthcare centre. The national expert, Ramia Assaad, a surveyor and health expert, is coordinating the construction and describes her experiences in this interview.