GIZ Brussels Spring Reception 2023
Our panel speakers with the moderator and the GIZ Board Member Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven
On 3 May 2023 GIZ Brussels held its yearly reception with a thematic focus on 'Digital Skills'. This year’s edition was exceptional, as it was jointly organized by the GIZ Brussels Representation and the taxable business area of GIZ called International Services to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the latter.
GIZ Board Member Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven opened the event with a speech that underlined the importance of addressing the issue of digital skills in partnership and in a Team Europe spirit. After the opening, guests attended a panel discussion on 'From Transition to Transformation: Digital Skills for Development'.
Moderated by journalist Katie Gallus, the panel gathered:
- Koen Doens, Director General for International Partnerships at the European Commission
- Tamara Dancheva Co-Chair of EQUALS Skills Coalition and GSMA Senior International Relations Manager
- Marlon Parker, Founder of RLabs – Making HOPE contagious
- Martin Wortmann, Secretary General of the Education Alliance of SMEs (Bildungsallianz des Mittelstands)
'We need to make sure that regulatory frameworks are developed in our partner countries, as they are crucial in order to function in an equal digital environment that cannot be turned against them.'
Koen Doens, Director General for International Partnerships - European Commission
The discussion focused on three core aspects of digital skills for development:
- Meaningfully reducing the gender digital divide
- Creating partnerships with the private sector
- Fostering an inclusive and green digital innovation
During the reception, over 120 guests from the EU Institutions, leading Think Tanks and NGOs, peer Member States Organisations, the UN family and the private sector as well as GIZ colleagues networked and exchanged with one another. Guests could also take a deep dive in digital skills projects implemented by GIZ by visiting projects booths.
