Polish aid

Solidarity Fund PL supports democracy, also local democracy, in countries undergoing political transformation, by providing support in democratic transition to societies, and by promoting respect for human rights worldwide. SFPL’s main area of activity covers the Eastern Partnership countries, especially Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, and Moldova. In the past, it also financed Polish NGO projects in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia, and Myanmar. Solidarity Fund PL also acts as the Polish contact point for OSCE international election observation missions.

SFPL’s activities are mainly financed from Polish development cooperation funds at the disposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Fund also receives support from other donors for the implementation of its own projects, as well as the organisation of calls for proposals for Polish entities within the meaning of the Act on Public Benefit and Volunteer Work.

Set up in 1997 at the initiative of the Polish President as Polska Fundacja Transformacji Rynkowej „Wiedzieć Jak” (Polish Foundation for Market Transformation “Knowing How”), it focused on assisting countries undergoing market transformation by, among other things, implementing projects for Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Georgia. In 2002, its name was changed to the Polish Foundation for International Cooperation for Development “Knowing How.” The Foundation’s activities were suspended in 2005. In light of Poland’s growing involvement in development cooperation and the need to support democratic transition in other countries, the Minister of Foreign Affairs decided to reactivate the Foundation in 2011.

On 16 September 2011, the Polish Development Cooperation Act was adopted, under which the Minister of Foreign Affairs may entrust the Foundation with development assistance tasks in countries with special political conditions. In 2013, the Foundation was renamed to Solidarity Fund PL.

The goals of the Fund are set by the Council, which is composed of seven to nine members. They are MPs and senators, as well as others with experience in development cooperation. The Council is chaired by an MFA undersecretary of state in charge of development cooperation. Its chairperson and members are appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Fund’s day-to-day activities are managed by the president of the Supervisory Board, who is appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in consultation with the Council, for a three-year term of office. The Fund is required to present an annual report on the implementation of its development cooperation tasks to the Sejm Foreign Affairs Committee (SZA).

SFPL representations abroad

The first SFPL representation was established in 2014 in the Republic of Moldova under the name of the Information Center for Local Authorities in Ialoveni. Since mid-2019, SFPL representations have been operating in Georgia and Ukraine. Their activities are based on the model developed in Moldova, taking into account both countries’ unique conditions.

Observation missions

Free elections are the cornerstone of democracy and an important test for the functioning and sustainability of democratic procedures in each country. In collaboration with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Solidarity Fund PL recruits, prepares, and dispatches Polish observers to elections in the countries of our region as part of missions organised by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (ODIHR/OSCE).

Since 2012, the Fund has deployed close to 770 Polish observers to 30 ODIHR/OSCE observation missions. These included presidential, parliamentary, and local elections in Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia.

Polish observers are recruited through an open competition. Apart from Polish citizenship and proficient English skills, they are distinguished by their knowledge of the region/country of observation and its language. Polish observers have experience in international observation missions and those leaving for the first time undergo prior training organised by SFPL. SFPL preparatory training lasts two days and follows the completion of an online course prepared by the ODIHR/OSCE.

More information: Election-observation missions - Fundacja Solidarności Międzynarodowej (solidarityfund.pl)

 

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Year 2020

In 2020, the Fund executed tasks falling within the scope of Polish development cooperation by carrying out the Support for Democracy 2020 programme. To implement the programme, the Fund received a grant amounting to PLN 28 million. The Fund also benefited from the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in raising funding from other donors, i.e. the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the European Commission (EC), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), thus strengthening the impact of Polish development cooperation. The Fund carried out activities for the people of Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.

In partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (KPRM), the State Fire Service (PSP), the Material Reserves Agency (ARM) and other state bodies and state-owned companies, the Fund organised humanitarian aid convoys to respond to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and to combat its effects.

Aid in the form of medicines, ventilators, disinfectants and antiseptics, protective masks and other items of personal protective equipment was delivered to the Belarusian population. Two convoys with humanitarian aid set off from Poland in 2020: in April (the first Polish convoy sent abroad to help fight the pandemic) and in June, with 300 tonnes of equipment and protective supplies.

Personal protective equipment (face masks, visors) and disinfectants were delivered to Georgia by air. The recipient of the aid was the Emergency Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. The activities were carried out by Poland within the framework of NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC). The aid convoy was a response to a request made under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM).

Face masks, disposable gloves, visors, disinfectants and protective suits were donated to Ukraine. The aid was delivered in the form of a humanitarian aid convoy, with the participation, among others, of state-owned companies and the Ministry of Health, and with the support of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, the Border Guard, and the National Revenue Administration.

To Azerbaijan, Poland airlifted medical masks, visors, and disinfectant fluid. The recipient was Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Compulsory Health Insurance.

As part of the aid operation, Armenia received medical masks, visors, and disinfectant fluid, delivered by air. The recipient of the aid was the Republican Centre for Humanitarian Aid at Armenia’s Ministry of Health.

Humanitarian aid to Moldova in the fight against the spread of the virus was delivered by a convoy of the State Fire Service vehicles. The transport included 30,000 face masks, 4,800 visors, and 20,000 litres of disinfectant fluid. The donors were the National Sugar Company and the Material Reserves Agency, supported by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, the Border Guard, and the National Revenue Administration. The convoy was the Polish response to a Moldovan request made under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The transport with humanitarian aid from Poland reached also six Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia). More than 60 thousand litres of fluid for disinfecting surfaces and hands and 600 thousand surgical masks were delivered (in total almost 70 tonnes of supplies).

Moreover, personal protective equipment, thermometers, disinfectant fluids, and medicines were delivered by air to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The recipient of the aid in Uzbekistan was the Ministry of Health.

In 2020, measures to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were carried out in parallel with regular development activities aimed at partners in the EaP countries.

Actions for the benefit of Belarusian society

Support was provided for civil society projects and projects to increase access to independent information, as well as for activities aimed at observing the presidential election campaign and monitoring violations related to the campaign and the electoral process. Within the Solidarity with Belarus package, announced in August 2020, Solidarity Fund PL implemented several dozen new projects, targeting mainly persons persecuted by the regime. The Fund also provided additional support to radio stations targeting the Belarusian audience and completed the first stage of establishing a base for Belarusian independent communities.

Actions for Ukraine

In 2020, the Kyiv office of Solidarity Fund PL carried out four projects related to the reform of social services in local governments (hromadas) and to vocational education reform. Among the activities undertaken were the creation of a local labour market information system, the preparation of action plans for the development of vocational education, and designing its financing model. As a result of the cooperation, a programme document on the introduction of vocational counselling into the Ukrainian mainstream school system (Vocational Orientation in the New Ukrainian School), was prepared as part of the New Ukrainian School programme.

Actions for Moldova

Under the COVID-19 Crisis Fund set up by the SFPL office in Chișinău in May 2020, 38 oxygen concentrators were delivered to about 30 hospitals across Moldova, including to hospitals in Transnistria. Protective equipment, including face masks, coveralls and disinfectant liquids, as well as small medical equipment distributed to local medical facilities, local governments and NGOs, were procured from local businesses.

Actions for Georgia

Poland has consistently supported the decentralisation process, which allows residents to have greater involvement in the life of their local governments and to decide on issues important to their local communities. As part of the process, in 2020, the Tbilisi office of Solidarity Fund PL carried out a project aimed at mobilising citizens and building Georgian local self-governance, for example by launching a digital resource centre – a tool for effective communication between residents and the local authority.

Report: Documents - Solidarity Fund PL (solidarityfund.pl)

 

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Year 2021

In 2021, the Fund executed tasks falling within the scope of Polish development cooperation by carrying out the Support for Democracy 2021 programme. To implement the programme, the Fund received a grant amounting to PLN 29.73 million. The Fund also benefited from the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in raising funding from other donors, i.e. the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the European Commission (EC), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), thus strengthening the impact of Polish development cooperation. The Fund carried out activities for the people of Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Armenia.

Actions for the benefit of Belarusian society

Freedom of expression was an important area of the Fund’s engagement in 2021. Support to those forced to emigrate for political reasons was also continued. In 2021, SFPL provided support to organisations defending human rights, those who were persecuted, independent educational institutions, civil society organisations, pro-democracy groups, as well as independent media.

Actions for Ukraine

In 2021, the Fund continued to support the Ukrainian authorities in the implementation of three major reforms related to the decentralisation process – the reform of social services, vocational education, as well as civil protection and security. Support was provided through advice at the legislative level, provision of know-how, and the implementation of specific solutions at the local level, in cooperation with partner local governments (hromadas). The Fund has concluded two memoranda of cooperation with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service. In addition, the Fund carried out two pilot projects: one on quality management through the implementation of the Common Assessment Framework in the public sector of Ukraine, and the other on improving the psychological support system for veterans of military operations in the Donbas and their families.

Actions for Moldova

In 2021, the Fund continued to promote the LEADER approach in rural development and the urban revitalisation and development programme. Both processes have entered the institutionalisation stage, meaning that state institutions and social partners are taking responsibility for the implementation of a specific development approach and tool. In addition to these two programmes, the Chişinău office continued its efforts to strengthen trust between local communities from both banks of the Dniester. The Fund has invariably promoted the idea of development based on local resources, placing at the centre the people who live in the territory. In practice, the activities achieved their objective by involving entire local communities, authorities and organisations, as a way to improve the living conditions of the population and, in the long term, to encourage Moldovans to stay in the country, thus solving the problem of depopulation, one of the country's key problems.

Actions for Georgia

Poland has consistently supported the decentralisation process, which allows residents to have greater involvement in the life of their local governments and to decide on issues important to their local communities. In 2021, the Fund's activities focused on building trust between the authorities and residents and on developing energy-efficient solutions for the local administration.

Actions for Armenia

In 2021, SFPL started the implementation of pilot projects in Armenia. Their aim was to support people affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and to provide legal education to young people and motivate them to work for changes in the judicial system.

Report: Documents - Solidarity Fund PL (solidarityfund.pl)