Linking development actions and support for democratic processes is a characteristic element of development co-operation. It stems from the conviction that the long-term development of countries with lower development ratings would not be possible without a significant improvement in the functioning of state institutions and respect for democratic standards and human rights. Countries which grant development aid are involved in promoting democracy as a system which is better adapted to fulfilling human requirements in the social, cultural and economic spheres, as well as to supporting sustainable economic growth. For these countries, spreading democracy is not about imposing their own ideas or interests, but about protecting people against abuses of power and allowing citizens to take control of their own lives.

Supporting democracy also means strengthening civil society and its independent institutions, and  monitoring and assessing respect for human rights and fundamental civil freedoms. It entails ensuring proper and transparent election procedures, transparency of public life, free and independent media, and the freedom of association and expression. The Freedom House Foundation publishes an annual report on the state of democracy and freedom in every country. The report is the outcome of observations of changes in the area of respect and protection of political rights and civil freedoms by national authorities. International and regional organizations, such as the EU, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the UN and its agendas, all play an important role in spreading democracy.

As a member of these organizations, Poland takes an active role in measures helping to observe democratic procedures and respect fundamental rights and freedoms. It also presents its own initiatives on the international forum:

• Community of Democracies - a coalition of over a hundred countries; its main task is to promote democratic values and strengthen democratic norms and institutions around the world. It was created at an international conference held in Warsaw in 2000. The originators of this initiative were the former Foreign Minister of Poland, Professor Bronisław Geremek, and the U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. At the conference inaugurating the 10^th anniversary of the Community of Democracies, held in Kraków on 2-3 July 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emphasized the role played by civil society in developing democracy, and announced the creation of a fund to support NGOs towards which the Obama administration will allocate USD 2m.
• The International Donors' Conference "Solidarity with Belarus" was a Polish initiative organized on 2 February 2011 in Warsaw. It became an important element in Belarusian policy in the aftermath of the December events in Minsk, when Belarusian authorities cracked down on post-election protesters and arrested hundreds of representatives of the democratic opposition, thus confirming the country's disregard for fundamental European values. Poland was the originator of the idea to supplement the discussion on Belarusian policy with financial obligations aimed at benefiting Belarusian civil society (the total declared sum amounted to EUR 87m). The debate of representatives from 36 countries, NGOs and Belarusian democratic circles centred on the long-term programme to protect human rights and civil freedoms in Belarus.

Projects implemented in the framework of Polish development co-operation are proof of Poland's involvement in the promotion of democracy and its support for civil society. By using Poland's experience of systemic transformation, the projects concentrate on expert assistance in building local government structures and increasing the effectiveness of public administration (training young democrats from countries undergoing transformation, parliamentary internships, aid in implementing systemic reforms). These projects are carried out both by central and local government agencies, and by NGOs, research and development institutions, and Polish diplomatic missions. We share our experiences with border countries (Ukraine, Belarus) and with culturally and geographically distant ones (Afghanistan, Iraq, Central Asian countries).

Below is a list of examples of projects implemented in 2009:

Ukraine - supporting rural local government in the rural-territorial reform process, assistance in implementing migration policy, police cooperation in ensuring safety of large-scale public events, supporting the process of adapting to EU standards, assistance in negotiating association agreements;

Belarus - promoting independent NGOs, small business associations, access to objective sources of information (TV Belsat, Radio Racja, Internet library);

Moldova - training public officials in migration management and counteracting trafficking in human beings, professionalization of agricultural advisory services;

Western Balkans - training devoted to programming and using EU budget resources;

Georgia - developing a forest industry model, activisation of local communities around agritourism and other forms of small business, social integration of refugees;

Tajikistan - implementing an IT system for collecting and processing geographic data for use by geodetic and architectural services;

Iraq - prison and judicial system reform;

Palestinian Authority - training border guards;

Afghanistan - vocational training for police officers, teachers, journalists, medical services; social promotion of women (professional activation, health-oriented programmes, equal educational opportunities for girls and boys); creating basic social welfare structures (courses for persons with disabilities; social inclusion of widows, disabled persons and people from high- risk environments).