The NGDO Platform is an association of corporate bodies - it is the rooftop organization of the Slovak non-governmental organizations (21 proper members and 8 observers) which deal mainly with foreign development and humanitarian aid. The Platform’s role is to represent the common interests of its member organization on the domestic as well as foreign ground and to inform member organizations about current developments.

The NGDO Platform is one of the direct actors in the area of foreign development and humanitarian aid, co-operation and policy of the Slovak republic, of the EU and also other institutions focused on the development in economically less developed countries.

The NGDO Platform is the voice of non-governmental organizations which are irreplaceable in foreign development co-operation and humanitarian aid and it represents them in this area at home and abroad as well. The NGDO Platform is part of Slovak Official Development Aid (ODA) and its motive for supporting the member organizations and carry out the development and humanitarian aid is:

• To share responsibility for global development and a moral duty to contribute to reducing poverty in the world
• To keep the commitment and promises stemming from the participation of Slovakia in international organizations and from taking part in international agreements
• To take part in donor community and the need to be viewed as an active part of the biggest actor and donor of the development aid to the third world countries – the EU

History

1998
NGDO Platform has been forming gradually. The first impulse came in 1998 during the Conference on Development Cooperation in the Context of EU Enlargement which was organised by Austrian Platform in Vienna and was attended by some representatives of Slovak non-governmental organizations.

2002
(September) - founding of the Platform as an informal association by nine non-governmental organizations.

2003
(January) - NGDO Platform becoming on of 18 founding members of CONCORD (15 Platforms from the EU, 3 countries standing as candidates: Slovakia, Czech Republic and Malta, and 10 thematic networks: ActionAid Alliance, Aprodev, Caritas Europa, CIDSE, Eurodad, EuronAid, Eurostep, IPPF, Solidar and Terre des Hommes.(August) – founding of the Platform as an interest group of bodies corporate by 15 founding members.(October) – NGDO Platform was officially registered at the county council in Bratislava. Along with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, Slovakia has been part of CIDA/ODACE program. The Platform itself has been actively involved in ODACE and became a partner for the MFA in the area of Development Aid. The TRIALOG program focused on Development Capacity Building has been an important partner for the new emerging Platforms in candidate countries.

2004
(September) – NGDO Platform started up a project focusing on the Slovak MPs and the European MPs, which was supported by the SlovakAid.

2005
(June) – the Platform took part in the international “Make Poverty History” campaign and together with other non-governmental organizations in Slovakia it gave a Slovak face to the campaign “The world without poverty”.(August) – finishing CIDA/ODACE program (September) – finishing the project with MPs (SlovakAid).(October) – start of the RPP – Regional Partnership Program.

2006
Preparation work on the Summer School of Development Education in Slovakia (DESS 2007). Active involvement in the preparation process of a new system of the Official Development Aid (ODA). (April) – regional workshop about European-African Strategy (RPP).

2007

Implementation of the RPP project. Organization of School of Development Education in Slovakia (DESS 2007).

2008
Implementation of the new national project “Building capacities of the NGDOs Platform: Strong partnership for the development and cooperation”, financed by SlovakAid (MFA). Implementation of the new project “To act you have to know', financed by EK with the support of SlovakAid. Ending of the three years project RPP – Regional Partnership Program.

2009
Ending of the one year project “Building capacities of the NGDOs Platform: Strong partnership for the development and cooperation” financed by SlovakAid (MFA). Starting of the implementation of the new national project “Building capacities of the NGDOs Platform: Strong partnership for the development and cooperation – continuation ” financed by SlovakAid (MFA). Active involvement in the preparation process of a new Nation Plan ODA 2010.

STRUCTURE OF THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS PLATFORM

Members´ Assembly

The supreme body of NGDO Platform is the Members’ Assembly. It is an approving and decisionmaking authority, it may elect and remove members of NGDO’s bodies.

Board

The Board of NGDO Platform ensures the fulfilment of duties and objectives of NGDO Platform. The members of the boards are:

Chairman
Marián Čaučík
eRko - Movement of Christian Children Communities
Tel.:+421 2 55 42 22 54
Fax: +421 2 55 42 22 54
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Vice-chairman
Nora Beňáková
People in Peril Association
Tel.:+421 2 55 42 22 54
Fax: +421 2 55 42 22 54
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Members of the board:

Juraj Barát
Caritas Slovakia
Tel.:+421 2 54 43 28 01
Fax: +421 2 54 43 30 97
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Allan Bussard
Integra foundation
Tel.:+421 2 54 41 88 29
Fax: +421 2 54 41 88 31
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Ján Mihálik
PDCS, o.z.
Tel.:+421 2 52 92 50 16
Fax: +421 2 52 93 22 15
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Lenka Nemcová
Executive secretary
Tel./Fax:+421 2 44 52 55
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Sekretariat of the Platform

To ensure effective work of the NGDO Platform a secretariat has been established. It is led by the Executive Secretary Lenka Nemcová together with Policy Officer Daniela Balážová and Assistant of the Secretariat Veronika Kurinová.

Statutory body

Statutory body of the Platform is the Chairman and the Executive Secretary. The Chairman and the Executive Secretary present the standpoints and opinions of the Platform to the public.

The Control Committee

The Control Committee is the control body of the association. The Control Committee shall control whether the economic principles of the association and the obligations of the members derived from the Articles are duly observed.

Working Groups

Working Groups are formed on the basis of the Members’ Meeting decisions.

Activities of the NGDO Platform

Relations with MFA of Slovakia

The NGDO Platform has its representative in the coordination committee of ODA, who is the advisory body of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia. It is led by the plenipotentiary of Slovak government for development aid and the Secretary for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Platform also has its representatives in the executive committees of UNDP’s Trust Fund and Bratislava – Belgrade Fund. These funds have been created to administer resources from ODA. Through these representatives the Platform can offer its view on the content of important documents, directives, etc., which were and will be created during the process of creating the system of ODA.

Development education

The NGDO Platform is also the means of implementation which carries out projects of development education supported by SlovakAid.

As a part of the first announced grant circle on development education in spring 2004, the Platform had a project approved: Involvement of Slovak politicians and Slovak Euro-politicians in ODA of Slovakia and the EU. This project is carried out in a close cooperation of MFA representatives (Department of development and humanitarian aid). There have been 4 presentations of the Slovak ODA to the politicians of Foreign Committee, Committee for European Affairs, Committee of human rights, nationality and status of women, and the Committee of Finance, Budget and Menu.

The NGDO Platform suggests also through this project a discussion between the representatives of NGDO Platform, representatives of MFA, the MPs and the Members of European Parliament on the topic of development and humanitarian aid, focusing especially on:

• Preparation of the legislative framework of ODA (the Development Aid Law)
• Ensuring increase in ODA’s share of GDP in accordance with theBarcelona criteria and agreements from Monterrey
• Cooperation in building of a modern system of humanitarian foreign aid, in setting aside a part of state budget for the humanitarian aid which would be supervised by the MFA
• Developing international relations especially with the countries of the EU in the area of development and humanitarian aid

During years 2007-2008 a working group for Development Education was set up by members of the Slovak NGDOs Platform and their partners. In 2009 the working group was more closely specialized to the development education for the university students.

Relations with EU

The NGDO Platform is one of the founding members of CONCORD – Confederation of European Non-governmental Development and Humanitarian Organization with the seat in Brussels. The Platform is CONCORD’s active member in some Working Groups:

• WG Policy Forum - CONCORD’s ‘political spearhead’, discussing and sharing political intelligence and coordinating policy work. Sub-group: Presidency: it identifies issues of common interest and draws up a plan of action to be implemented by CONCORD members during the successive Presidencies of the European Council.
• WG Enlargement, which is focused on entering and assets of new member countries into EU in the area of development and humanitarian policies of the EU. In its framework there is a subgroup called Neighborhood Policy where the Platform has its representative as well
• WG Development Education Forum is working on education and raising awareness of the citizens in EU member states in the area of development and humanitarian cooperation or policy
• WG Aidwatch - the AidWatch Initiative is a pan-European lobby and campaigns initiative monitoring and advocating on the quality and the quantity of ODA provided by the EU member states and the European Commission

Projects of the NGDO Platform:

• 2002 - 2003: CIDA/ODACE
• 2003 - 2005: CIDA/ODACE
• 2004 - 2005: SlovakAid - Trust Found
• 2005 - 2006: UNDP Slovakia
• 2005 - 2008: ADA + SlovakAid
• 2006 - 2009: Millennium Development Goals MDGs (EK)
• 2008 - 2009: Capacity Building PMVRO (SlovakAid)
• 2008 - 2011: To Act You Have To Know (EK)
• 2009 - 2010: Capacity Building PMVRO (SlovakAid)

For more information see under PROJECTS

Charter of the NGDO Platform

The Charter of the NGDO Platform was adopted by the Board Meeting in 2003 and further amended in 2007.

Our Partners

• Ministry of Foreing Affairs of Slovakia and Slovak Agency for International Development Aid(SAMRS) - SlovakAid (www.mzv.sk, www.slovakaid.sk)
• UNDP - Development program of the UN(www.undp.sk)
• CONCORD - European NGO for Relief and development (www.concordeurope.com)
• TRIALOG(www.trialog.or.at)