Development assistance is a response of developed countries to the problem of poverty that a considerable number of countries in the 21st century face. Poor countries are not capable of developing solely on their own, therefore they rely on assistance offered by other countries and international institutions.

The overcoming of the global development gap is a challenge for today. Hunger and poverty problems require global solutions on the one hand, and the individual involvement of each state on the other.

Supporting Democracy

Apart from development assistance, foreign assistance includes support for the process of building democracy and a civil society. Developed countries become involved in the promotion of the principles of good governance and the rule of law, and in the monitoring and assessment of the observance of human rights and fundamental civil liberties. The strengthening of independence of civil society institutions is also of utmost importance.

New strategy for Polish foreign assistance

The decision to initiate works on the new strategy for Polish foreign assistance has been made in relation to expanding the scope of Polish activities undertaken in the field of foreign assistance (traditionally limited to development assistance sensu stricto), so that it also includes activities promoting democracy in Eastern European countries. Some new international circumstances have also come to existence, namely closer co-operation between the EU and the OECD in the field of development assistance programming and combining efforts to increase its efficiency. These new circumstances make us change the existing approach to the development assistance activities.