History

The Slovak Republic is a member of OECD (Organization for economic co-operation and development) from the year 2000 the club of 30 richest countries of the world. By joining in Slovakia became a part of development aid donors’ community. In the year 2000 it also signed the OSN Millennium declaration which engages the advanced states of the world to finance development and build up partnerships with developing countries.

By entering the European union in the year 2004 Slovakia took on the EU responsibility – to support the EU budget for development aid and at the same time, as a new member state, it should be able to assign 0.17% HND for the development aid by the year 2010 and to increase this number to 0.33% HND the year by the year 2015. In real numbers it means that with 5% economic growth Slovakia should be able to give over 106 million EUR in the year 2010 and almost 259 mil. EUR in the year 2015.

In the year 2008 the World Bank reclassified Slovakia from the group of countries which received aid to the group of countries which provide aid.

The change in Slovakia’s position from a receiving-aid country to a providing-aid country created a need to work out a system of providing official development aid (Slovak Aid). In creation of Slovak Aid the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cooperated with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and with Development Program of United Nations – UNDP (Regional UNDP centre in Bratislava - http://europeandcis.undp.org)

Until the year 2003 the development aid was mostly carried out in form of voluntary contribution to international organizations (multilateral aid) and through specialized programs (e.g. scholarships). From the year 2003 finances from the government budget are allocated also to finance bilateral development aid projects – official bilateral development aid, which is considered to be a tool of foreign policy of the state and it is provided on basis of priorities of a specific state.

Priorities of bilateral Slovak development aid have been determined in a strategic document approved by Slovak government - Intermediate conception of official development aid for years 2003 – 2008: http://www.slovakaid.sk/index.php/article/articleview/36/1/2

In that time period 13 countries have been chosen as territorial priorities of Slovak Aid (Afghanistan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Serbia and Monte Negro, Sudan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). Serbia and Monte Negro (during that time in one state) was also the program country of Slovak development aid – a country the most resources were given to (after their split both of the countries became the program countries).

In terms of institutions and providing development aid, the key factor for establishing Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation (SAMRS) in the year 2007. Until its founding the Slovak Aid resources were distributed through two funds:

• Bratislava Fund – Beograd (fixed on program country Serbia and Monte Negro) – more information: www.npoa.sk
• Slovak - UNDP Trust Fund (fund created by MZV and UNDP, fixed on projects in other priority countries of Slovak Development Aid and projects of development education)

Between years 2003 – 2008, 122 projects have been financed within the frame of Slovak – UNDP Trust fund with amount of 10.3 million dollars, another 388 thousand dollars was spend on development education projects. Ten Slovak experts participated in OBSE observing missions during the elections in Ukraine and Belarus and also took part in international projects in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

Based on agreement between UNDP and MZV the second phase of Slovak – UNDP Trust Fund started in the year 2008 which is oriented on sending out experts within the framework of international projects and sending out the volunteers.

From the year 2007 the Slovak agency for international development cooperation is responsible for announcing the grant rounds, for monitoring and controlling of the bilateral projects of development aid. It is managed and controlled by the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs.