Berlin Forum on Global Cooperation 2025

Global cooperation in 2025 faces unprecedented challenges. The tasks are more pressing than ever: the return of hunger, escalating climate change, the loss of biodiversity, pandemics and increasing conflicts are jeopardising our common future. 

Germany's commitment is needed more than ever in the face of the Trump administration's disruptive attack on the normative, legal and financial foundations of global cooperation. The latter has withdrawn from the WHO and the Paris Climate Agreement and is fighting the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. It has cancelled its participation in the Just Energy Transition Partnerships and dismantled USAID, which had made a key contribution to many global initiatives.

In Germany, a new coalition government will now shape the country's international cooperation. Despite a uniquely high level of borrowing in the federal budget, budget cuts threaten all aspects of the international cooperation system. The previous cross-party consensus on the necessity and benefits of international cooperation is under pressure.

The first Berlin Forum for Global Cooperation, organised by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Humboldt University of Berlin, will lead the debate on Germany's engagement with the Global South in this era of disruption. Never has this debate been more important than today.

Click here to extended programme 

Programme: 

09:00 - Arrival and Coffee

09:30 - Welcome

• Dr. Imme Scholz, President, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Berlin
• Prof. Dr. Markus Hanisch, Director, Centre for Rural Development (SLE), Humboldt University Berlin

09:50 - Keynotes + Q&A 
The State of Global Cooperation 2025

• María Fernada Espinosa, Former President of the United Nations General Assembly; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Defense, Ecuador
• Prof. Carlos Lopes, Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town, South Africa

11:00 -  Break

11:30 - Panel with Political Representatives 
Germany's role in global cooperation

• Jochen Steinhilber, Director General at the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
• Gregor Darmer, CEO Global Perspectives Initiative
• Reinhard Bütikofer, Former Member of the European Parliament
• María Fernada Espinosa, Former President of the United Nations General Assembly; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Defense, Ecuador
• Prof. Carlos Lopes, Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town, South Africa

• Moderation: Dr. Imme Scholz, President, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Berlin

12:30 - Lunch Break & Networking (Market of Opportunities) 

Enjoy Colombian and Japanese cuisine on the terrasse (self-cost: €8.00–9.50). Please have cash ready, thank you!

14:00 - Deep Dives
Four Deep Dives into aspects of Germany's North-South cooperation in the economic transformation:

1. Development finance on the brink: What is the way forward? (ENG) [Großer Saal 1]
2. International climate cooperation - The role of Germany in times of uncertainty (ENG) [Kleiner Saal 1+2]
3. From crisis to resilience? The future of Humanitarian Aid (ENG) [Conference Room 1]
4. Reinventing Germany’s global cooperation (ENG + GER) (hybrid) [Plenary hall]

16:00 - Break

16:20 - 16:50 Presentation of Deep Dives
Presentation of Deep Dive results with young voices (Centre for Rural Development graduates).

17:00 -  Keynote + Q&A 
Sustainable development and the crisis of US hegemony

• Prof. Adam Tooze,  Historian, Commentator, Editor of magazine "Surplus"

18:00 - Final Words, Closing & Departure

19:00 - End

Cooperation: 
With The Centre for Rural Development (SLE) at the Humboldt Universität of Berlin.

Information: 
Elena Gnant
Globalisation and Transformation Unit
E gnant@BOELL.de

Your Participation in the event

» Participation on site
at the the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Conference Center, Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin

Please register in advance. Unfortunately, the number of seats for this event are limited. If we are at capacity, the conversation will be transmitted via video to other rooms.

» Online participation in ZOOM
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» Towards Greater Accessibility
At the Heinrich Böll Foundation, we are constantly striving to remove barriers. Whether in our building, in the release of publications or at online events. All information on this can be found under the following link: https://www.boell.de/de/auf-dem-weg-zur-barrierefreiheit

» Livestream
Alternatively, you can follow the event via the livestream without registering.
Livestream in English
Livestream in German