Pursuant to the guidelines to the draft Act on Development Co-operation, every five years the Council of Ministers will adopt a multiannual development co-operation programme by way of resolution. The programme will be created by the MFA, while the Foreign Minister will acquire greater co-ordination powers regarding all of the state budget funds directed towards development co-operation (i.e. not only the funds stemming from the target reserve).

The MFA has already initiated work on a draft five-year programme for 2012-2016. The work is being conducted in an open and inclusive manner, with the involvement of social partners, independent experts and representatives from various ministries.

Work on the multi-annual will lead to defining the geographical and thematic goals and priorities of the Polish development co-operation system. These goals will be reviewed on a periodic basis halfway through the programme.

Simultaneously, Poland wishes to modernize the methods of granting aid. The solutions adopted in the draft act should allow for longer-term projects and the implementation of larger and more complex projects (more information on the Act). Moreover, introducing a five-year perspective should allow the main aid operators (Polish NGOs, business communities, and ministries) to best plan their participation in the development aid system.

The work will concentrate on three main areas:

The close of project work and the initiation of formal social consultations and inter-ministry co-operation is planned for autumn 2011.

For more information, please contact the MFA's Department of Development Co-operation at program_wieloletni@msz.gov.pl