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