Cooperation between Germany and Guatemala began in 1978. Since then, the bilateral cooperation has been focused on citizen security and strengthening of democratic structures. 

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of this cooperation, on February 26 and 27, 2018, a visit was made to Petén. Governor Adriana Girón welcomed Thomas Cieslik, Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy in Guatemala; Anja Dahl, Resident Director of GIZ in Guatemala; Lydia Andler, Regional Director of the German Development Bank (KfW); Manuel Lorenzana, KfW Representative in Guatemala; Minor García, Deputy Executive Secretary of CONAP; Fernando Palomo, Head of Regional Technical Affairs of CONAP; Ursula Parilla, Country Coordinator of IUCN in Guatemala; representatives of MAGA, MARN, SEGEPLAN and civil society organizations.

During the formal ceremony, the situation of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (RBM) was presented, its challenges, threats and sustainability, as well as the mechanisms and areas of action in which technical and financial cooperation is implemented. Following the presentations, participants toured stands at which the institutions active in the RBM showcased their work: CONAP, MAGA, ACOFOP, Pastoral Social, SEGEPLAN, Selva Maya Program / GIZ and IUCN.

Finally, during a field trip, examples of projects that promote sustainable regional development and the protection of natural and cultural resources were visited: 1) The Ramón seed drying plant, 2) Agroforestry plots and 3) The use of monitoring tools such as SMART & e-Bird, with practices in the Yaxhá – Nakúm – Naranjo National Park. At the end of the visit, the participants reflected upon the German cooperation in Petén and ways to strengthen and consolidate the sustainability of the projects.