International organizations and multilateral bodies play a major role when it comes to improving conditions for international cooperation in education, science and innovation. They provide a forum for putting the spotlight on certain topics, at both national and international level, as well as for coordinating common procedures, pooling resources and defending the freedom of science and research. 

United Nations (UN) and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

A number of UN organisations and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are of particular relevance to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

UN

With the Agenda 2030 and the Pact for the Future, the United Nations bring the international community together to jointly address global challenges. The BMBF is particularly active in the areas of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and digital transformation. Furthermore, the BMBF provides funding for institutions of the United Nations University (UNU) and the International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNEVOC) of UNESCO in Germany.

In addition, the BMBF supports the development of global standards, for example the UNESCO recommendations on Open Science and Ethics in AI.

OECD

One of the important tasks of the OECD is to draw up comparative analyses and formulate knowledge-based recommendations for action. These provide states with guidance on how to further develop their national education, science and innovation systems. The BMBF participates, for example, in the OECD’s international school performance study Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and in different OECD studies in the area of R&I. It also supports the STIP Compass online research database, a joint initiative of European Commission and OECD.

Group of Seven (G7) and Group of Twenty (G20)

International discussion within informal bodies also plays an important role – above all in the G7 and G20. The BMBF is in close contact with the education and research ministries of the seven leading industrialized nations in the G7 group. Germany last held the G7 Presidency in 2022. In recent years, our work with partners that share our values to cooperate on future-oriented technologies such as artificial intelligence and research security issues has become more and more important. 

Germany is also a member of the informal collaboration of the twenty most powerful economies in the world, the G20, with annually changing presidencies and priority topics. Following the decision of the heads of state and government at the G20 Pittsburgh summit in September 2009, the G20 is the central forum for international economic cooperation. The BMBF plays a leading role in representing DEU positions in the two G20 working groups on education (EdWG) and research & innovation (RIWG), the results of which are incorporated into the G20 summit declaration. Germany last held the G20 Presidency in 2017.

The freely accessible online platform STIP Compass was officially launched in April 2018 as a joint initiative of the European Commission and OECD. It provides quantitative and qualitative data on national strategies, framework programmes and funding measures in science, technology and innovation. In 2023, 57 countries and the EU participated in the annual STIP Compass survey.

The Federal Government collaborates with UNESCO in different fields and has pledged further support in its coalition agreement. Important objectives of collaboration include:

• developing science-based solutions to global challenges,
• participating in the development of international standards on topics such as open science or artificial intelligence, and
• promoting the implementation of the Agenda 2030 education goal at a national level.

Editorial deadline for this text: 01.11.2024