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Development Minister Svenja Schulze arrived in Kyiv today, where she will hand over some of the civilian support pledged by Germany. The winter support comprises 80 mobile combined heat and power units, more than 20 mobile boiler houses, transformers and hybrid generators, and elevating platforms for repairing central power lines.

The German Development Ministry (BMZ) has launched an initiative to make cities more accessible for people with disabilities. The Resilient and Inclusive City Hub will be established as part of the UN Global Disability Fund (formerly UN PRPD), bringing together international organisations and development banks, urban planners, cities networks, lobby groups and other stakeholders. The Hub’s aim will be to make public spaces more accessible to all. Development Minister Svenja Schulze unveiled the initiative today at the European Regional Disability Summit in Berlin.

Germany will work together also with the new coalition government on expanding renewable energies and making the energy transition socially just. This was agreed by the two countries at the government negotiations in Berlin, which ended yesterday.

The 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) begins in Baku on 11 November 2024 under the Presidency of Azerbaijan. Alongside the implementation of last year’s decisions on emission reductions, energy transition, and adaptation and resilience targets, the focus this year will be on agreeing a new approach to climate finance. “Team Germany” will be represented at COP29 by several Federal Ministers.

Development Minister Svenja Schulze travelled to Lebanon today. During a visit to Beirut, she met with Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati to discuss the current crisis facing the country. Schulze committed an additional 60 million euros to provide basic services for hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced within the country by the fighting or have fled to neighbouring Syria.

On the agenda of the World Bank’s Annual Meeting today was a mid-term review of the reform process that was initiated two years ago. These reforms aim to equip the world’s largest provider of development finance to tackle global challenges. Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Development Ministry Niels Annen represented Germany at the meeting.