WE OURSELVES RECEIVED ASSISTANCE Poland received considerable development assistance after the Second World War and after the commencement of transformations in 1989. This assistance contributed to the success of political transformations and social and economic reforms that started in 1989.

WE WANT AND SHOULD PROVIDE ASSISTANCE For several years now, our country has not only been the beneficiary of foreign assistance, but also its provider. On the global scale, Poland is a developed country. According to the Human Development Index (HDI), which is produced annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Poland was rated 36th among 177 analysed countries of the world in 2005. We are a member of the UNO and have undertaken the task of contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. In 1996, Poland joined the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which is frequently referred to as the “club of the rich” or the “donors’ club”. In 2004, Poland became member of the European Union, an institution that every year provides more than half of the development assistance to developing countries. Membership of those institutions authorises and obligates Poland to share its wealth with other countries and societies that are needier.

Other donors’ experience shows that foreign assistance has contributed to the acceleration of socio-economic development in many countries worldwide. Thanks to this assistance, it was possible to increase the number of people having access to drinking water, manage infectious disease epidemics, reduce illiteracy levels, reduce infant mortality and ensure food security in many areas of the globe. Provided assistance has also resulted in the acceleration of political transformations in many countries as well as in the improvement of the system of human rights protection and observance.

THE EXPERIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION Poland has a lot to offer to its closer and further neighbours. This includes, above all, experiences from its successful political transformation, which are extremely useful for the countries of our region. Poland implements a number of projects in transition countries, in such areas as:

• support for democratic institutions,
• improvement of public administration efficiency,
• restructuring of individual economic sectors,
• building the civil society,
• strengthening local structures,
• education and science,
• health protection,
• development of cross-border co-operation.

At the same time, Poland carries out activities supporting free market economy transformations in transition countries. Apart from that, it is interested in promoting the idea of European integration, Euro-Atlantic co-operation and international solidarity / Poland may offer its experience gathered at the time when it was joining both organisations to countries interested in EU integration and trans-Atlantic co-operation.

Poland in the EU

Poland’s EU membership entails undertaking and fulfilment of concrete obligations relating to co-operation with third countries as regards international development, including the provision of increased developed assistance.

In May 2005, during the meeting of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC), Poland (just like the other nine states that joined the European Union in 2004) undertook to increase development assistance for developing countries up to the level of 0.17% of GNP by 2010 and do its best to make that index reach 0.33% of GNP in 2015. This will mean a considerable increase of foreign assistance funds compared with today. At the same time, it will require the adjustment of Poland’s existing assistance programme to new challenges connected with the necessity of efficiently servicing much larger funds directed to developing countries.

The planned increase of assistance given by Poland:

In 2005, Poland participated in the preparation of the new EU development strategy - the European Consensus on Development, which was adopted on 20 December 2005. The document reflects the European Union’s willingness and readiness to take an even more active attitude in support of reducing poverty levels worldwide and building peaceful relations between countries. The first part of the unprecedented document defines the common objectives and principles of the EU development co-operation, namely:

• the reduction of poverty levels,
• the observance and protection of human rights,
• good governance practices.