The Faculty of Social Sciences of University of Ljubljana hosted the 25th Political Science Days between the 29 and 30 of May. Within the conference, Executive Director of the Centre for European Perspectives (CEP) Dr Gorazd Justinek moderated the panel discussion on the topic of "International Development Assistance of Slovenia – Past Challenges and Future Opportunities" with the following panellists – H.E. Mitja Štrukelj, Director General for International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Irena Lukač, Project Centre at Excellence in Finance and Dr Boštjan Udovič, Assistant Professor of International Relations.
H.E. Štrukelj described the progress of Slovenia's international development assistance, which began in 2004 when Slovenia became a donor of development aid. This was followed by build-up of the international development assistance framework in 2006 and the adoption of the resolution in 2008. Between 2010 and 2011 many EU countries adopted international development assistance action plans. In 2013 Slovenia entered OECD, which has a competent internal service and vast databases that are a useful tool for efficient facilitation of international development assistance. In 2013 the total sum of Slovenia's development assistance was 46,4 million € which amounts to 0,7 percent of Slovenia's GDP and places Slovenia in the company of Sweden, Luxembourg, Great Britain, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, given the EU average of 0,43 percent of GDP for development assistance. The structure of Slovenian development assistance program is focused on the Western Balkans (73%), Africa (8,5%) and the Middle East (2%). H.E. Štrukelj emphasised the importance of tailor made projects with a long-term positive effect on the beneficiary country and its population. He also acknowledged the importance of NGO activities in international development assistance and mentioned the Slovenian NGO platform SLOGA as an example of good practice.
Irena Lukač from the Centre of Excellence in Finance, which is active for 13 years and transfers Slovenian best practices in the field of public finance and banking sector, explained that CEF projects target Western Balkan countries and beyond (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Turkey). Currently CEF is in the process of transformation into an international organization, which would provide for a greater recognition and a broader spectre of activities.
Dr Udovič questioned the effectiveness of Slovenia's international development assistance due to its fragmentation between various actors and also challenged the panellists with the question on the administrative costs. H.E. Štrukelj reassured the audience that the administrative costs are minimal and that, compared to other states or organizations, Slovenia is even more effective and efficient. Dr Justinek and CEF representative stated that fragmentation actually allows for an added value since Slovenia can hence apply the targeted effects based approach and thus leverage the impact of the projects by employing professional expertise in the requested fields of the respected recipient countries. Further on Dr Udovič again challenged the panellist with the question whether developmental assistance is an altruistic activity or rather an instrument of foreign policy to which H.E. Štrukelj replied that developmental assistance is indeed an instrument of foreign policy, whereas its efficiency is inherently connected to the effect that it has for the receiving country.
Roundtable was concluded with the thought that while Slovenia may be a young actor in the field of development assistance, that fact does not position it at the back of other countries, since it can provide better results with less resources.
Utrinek s 25. politoloških dni – panel o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju (MRS)
29. in 30. maja so na Fakulteti za družbene vede potekali 25. politološki dnevi z naslovno temo »Slovenija, Evropska Unija in NATO: deset let pozneje«. V tem sklopu je direktor Centra za Evropsko Prihodnost (CEP) dr. Gorazd Justinek vodil panel z naslovom »Mednarodno razvojno sodelovanje Slovenije – pretekli izzivi in nove priložnosti«, na katerem so sodelovali tudi veleposlanik Mitja Štrukelj, generalni direktor Direktorata za mednarodno razvojno sodelovanje in humanitarno pomoč na ministrstvu za zunanje zadeve (MZZ), Irena Lukač, vodja projektov iz Centra za razvoj financ (CEF) ter predavatelj na FDV dr. Boštjan Udovič.
Veleposlanik Štrukelj je v začetku orisal nastanek in razvoj mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja (MRS) v Sloveniji. V Republiki Sloveniji za nacionalno koordinacijo ter program MRS skrbi Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve. Začetek delovanja MRS sega v leto 2004, ko je Slovenija postala stalna donatorka razvojne pomoči, temu je sledila izgradnja sistema MRS (2006) ter sprejetje resolucije (2008). V letih 2010 in 2011 je bilo po državah EU sprejetih več akcijskih načrtov mednarodne razvojne pomoči (MRP). Leta 2013 smo bili sprejeti v OECD, ki z močnim analitičnim aparatom ter bazami podatkov predstavlja pomemben sistem usmerjanja MRP.
V letu 2013 je vsota MRP, ki jo zagotavlja Republika Slovenija znašala 46,4 milijona €, kar znaša 0,7 odstotka BDP in nas postavlja ob bok državam kot so Švedska, Luksemburg, Velika Britanija, Norveška, Danska ter Nizozemska, pri čemer povprečje EU znaša 0,43 odstotka BDP. Struktura pomoči s strani Slovenije je usmerjena predvsem na področje zahodnega Balkana (73%), Afriko (8,5%) ter Bližnji vzhod (2%). Veleposlanik Štrukelj je še posebej izpostavil konkretno usmerjene projekte, ki imajo pozitivne trajnostne posledice za državo prejemnico in lokalno prebivalstvo. Poleg tega je izpostavil pomen delovanja nevladnih organizacij, natančneje platformo SLOGA, ki zagotavlja širši spekter delovanja na področju MRS.
Irena Lukač je predstavila delovanje Centra za razvoj financ, ki s 13 letnim delovanjem prenaša 25 let izkušenj Republike Slovenije iz javnofinančnega in bančnega sektorja. CEF prenaša primere dobre prakse državam s področja Balkana ter širše (Hrvaška, Bosna in Hercegovina, Albanija, Bolgarija, Moldavija, Romunija in Turčija). Trenutno je CEF v procesu transformiranja v mednarodno organizacijo, saj bo s tem izboljšal delovanje, dosegel večjo prepoznavnost ter zagotavljal širši obseg delovanja.
Dr. Udovič se je v širšem kontekstu MRS dotaknil razdrobljenosti pomoči ter vpliva razdrobljenosti na učinkovitost delovanja MRS, saj se morda glede na večje število akterjev na področju delovanja MRS, veliko sredstev porabi za administracijo. Veleposlanik Štrukelj je zatrdil da so ti stroški minimalni, oziroma ter da smo v primerjavi z drugimi državami ali organizacijami (UNIDO) celo bolj učinkoviti in varčni pri stroških, saj delujemo z omejenimi sredstvi. Direktor CEP dr. Justinek in predstavnica CEF sta poudarila, da ravno razdrobljenost MRP omogoča učinkovito delovanje, saj posamezne inštitucije lahko nudijo direktno in strokovno pomoč državam prejemnicam na izbranih področjih. V nadaljevanju je dr. Udovič paneliste izzval s tezo ali je MRS orodje zunanje politike ali altruistična dejavnost, na kar je veleposlanik Štrukelj odgovoril da MRS zagotovo spada pod spekter orodij zunanje politike, vendar je učinkovitost efekta delovanja odvisna od sprejetja te pomoči v državi prejemnici.
Dobro obiskan panel se je zaključil z mislijo, da čeprav je Republika Slovenija mlada akterka na področju MRS, prav nič ne zaostaja za ostalimi državami in je hkrati lahko še učinkovita pri izvajanju MRP, saj zmore z manj sredstvi narediti več kot ostali.