In Saxony-Anhalt, the state-wide coordination of development cooperation takes place in the Ministry of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry (MWL).
Development policy guidelines
The Development Policy Guidelines, which were drawn up in 2000, were revised as of 2018 with the participation of organizations and groups active in development, churches, trade unions, and business and science, and adopted by resolution of the state government on March 12, 2019.
The guidelines serve as an orientation and guideline for the development-related commitment of the state as a whole. In accordance with the relevant MPK resolutions of recent years, the guidelines were to be further developed, in particular taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the United Nations' Agenda 2030. In addition to the basic principles, the guidelines highlight 8 focal points according to which the country's development cooperation (DC) is or should be oriented:
Development-related information, education and public relations work, the promotion of development-related non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including corresponding network structures, the use of the potential of science and research, the linking of migration and development, the strengthening of fair trade and sustainable consumption, the sensitization of companies for DC while integrating the competencies of the business sector, the strengthening of partnerships and the use of existing competencies, the practice-oriented education and training of foreign experts and executives, and humanitarian aid. In accordance with the guidelines, the state government expressly views development cooperation as a cross-cutting task to be implemented across all ministries, in keeping with its comprehensive and multidimensional character.
In order to improve interdepartmental cooperation and to take on board suggestions and impulses from actors outside the state administration, a specialist working group on development cooperation has been set up. It is made up of representatives from all departments, the parliamentary groups in the state parliament and experts from various areas of development cooperation.
Development-related information, education and public relations work
Development-related NGOs are of central importance for raising awareness among the population and for increasing understanding of and commitment to the problems of the One World.
These NGOs are therefore supported both as providers of development-related information, education and public relations work in Germany (including the areas of sustainable consumption/fair trade advice and fair procurement) and as providers of development cooperation projects in developing and transition countries.
The addressees or places of development education are the training of teachers as well as all types of schools including vocational schools and kindergartens. With regard to the fair procurement of goods and services, companies and administrations are advised and appropriate forums for employees are held. The One World Promoter Program is a key instrument in this regard. Starting in 2014, the state of Saxony-Anhalt participates in the co-financing of this federal-state program and thus enables the deployment of currently four expert and two regional promoters as well as a network coordinator.
After the cities of Halle (Saale), Magdeburg, Sangerhausen, Wernigerode and Lutherstadt Wittenberg have been awarded the title of Fairtrade Town with the support of the Fair Trade Town campaign of the One World Network Saxony-Anhalt, further applications are being sought.
Municipal partnership with DC relevance
The city partnership between Hoi An (Vietnam) and Wernigerode, which has existed since 2013 - at the time the first official German-Vietnamese municipal partnership ever - was expanded in 2016 to a climate partnership with the development-related relevant core topics of energy efficiency/conversion to renewable energies, possibilities and methods for waste reduction/elimination including corresponding awareness raising as well as sustainable tourism. As a bottom-up partnership supported by broad sections of the population (to which the German Sustainability Award for the category of city partnerships) was awarded in 2019), the partnership will be continued with annual citizens' trips to Hoi An as well as professional exchanges and participations far beyond the city administrations and the Wernigerode Intercultural Network.
After the successful completion of a multi-year joint project for the training of skilled workers in the hotel and catering industry and for nursing professions in June 2022 with a total of 26 Vietnamese participants, this project-based cooperation will be continued in Wernigerode from September 2023 with 50 Vietnamese trainees. Financing will be provided by the companies providing the training.
State program "Partners of Tomorrow"
The "Partners of Tomorrow" program, which was first launched in 2001 as a contact and qualification program with China and Vietnam as the main partner countries at the time, is now open to all sectors and countries and is aimed at foreign students and university graduates as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (KMU) in the state.
Through the internships completed in the participating KMU, the participants gain important professional experience and practical vocational qualifications that benefit their home countries in the long term in terms of development and at the same time strengthen the foreign trade activities of the participating companies.