Partnership conference 2025 between municipalities from Germany and Sub-Saharan Africa
We look forward to welcoming you to the 6th partnership conference between German and African municipalities from 8 to 11 September 2025 in Giessen, Germany. This year the City of Giessen and its partner municipality Swakopmund in Namibia and the District of Giessen and its partner municipality Mubende in Uganda are the host partnerships. This partnership conference will focus particularly on the Sub-Saharan Africa region. On this page, we regularly update all information regarding the conference programme and your participation.
Participants of the 2022 partnership conference in Dresden. Photo: Anja Schneider
The partnership conference between German and African municipalities takes place every three years. Once again this year, partnership representatives from Germany and sub-Saharan Africa can come together. Under the motto ‘We learn from each other, we act together - strong partnerships for global sustainability’, the participating municipalities are given the opportunity to contribute their own topics and engage in dialogue with other German-African partnerships in addition to receiving expert input on development cooperation. Learn from the ideas and insights of others and pass on your experiences.
Linked to the conference are working meetings either before or after the event in the respective German partner municipalities, where you will have the opportunity to work in depth on joint projects in your partnership.
First insights into the programme
Here you will find current information on the programme of the partnership conference. Further details will follow shortly.
8 September 2025: Arrival and informal supporting programme
Arrival day and the opportunity to meet conference delegates informally with a visit to the Mathematikum in Giessen
9 September 2025: First conference day
The first day of the conference begins with the official opening ceremony and welcoming remarks. There will be a keynote speech and a panel discussion on the context of German-African partnerships.
In the afternoon, delegates will discuss the current status of their partnership activities. An internal discussion for senior administrators is planned to run alongside.
10 September 2025: Second conference day
The second day of the conference will focus on group work and sharing practical ideas. The delegates will discuss ideas on how to organise cooperation in the partnerships, learning from the stories and experiences of other municipal partnerships. Delegates will also share advice on how to structure partnerships with tried-and-tested approaches.
11 September 2025: Third conference day
The third day of the conference will offer further opportunities to share ideas and advice.
An Opportunities Market will provide inspiration and advice for delegates on funding and support opportunities for their partnership work.
The programme will also include further opportunities for discussion during this time slot.
A concluding review will summarise the results and key messages of the conference, which will conclude with an inspiring outline of next steps and future opportunities, along with an official farewell.
Following a lunch for all participants, individual delegates will depart or continue to their German partner municipalities from around 2 p.m.
Would you like to participate?
All partnerships between German municipalities and municipalities in sub-Saharan Africa that are already cooperating with the Service Agency have received a personal invitation by e-mail with all further information on participation opportunities.
Review
Fifth Conference on Municipal Partnerships with Africa
Dresden, 20 to 22 September, 2022
The conference addressed the topic "Sustainable digitalisation in municipalities".
Second Conference on Municipal Partnerships with Africa
Hamburg, 26 October 2013.
Some 130 participants attended the Second Conference on Municipal Partnerships with Africa, which took place from 24 to 26 October 2013 in the BallinStadt emigration museum in Hamburg.
First Conference on Municipal Partnerships with Africa
Ludwigsburg, 20 November 2010.
More than 130 delegates from local authorities, twinning associations and governmental and non-governmental development organisations met to compare notes and share experiences.
