Projects co-financed from the state budget

12 01 2025

New: Development Cooperation as an Element of Poland’s Smart Power

What role should Poland play in today’s world – donor, partner, or perhaps a leader of change? The new publication by the Solidarity Fund PL shows that development cooperation today is not only an expression of solidarity, but also a tool for building Poland’s position as a smart power in international relations.

In the study, experts analyse the evolution of Poland’s development cooperation system – from the adoption of the first strategy in 2003, through membership in the OECD DAC, to the unprecedented mobilisation of support for Ukraine following the Russian invasion.

Read in Polish
The publication shows how profoundly the global context for providing aid has changed – from the COVID-19 pandemic to the climate crisis and growing geopolitical competition. It stresses that Poland – as a high-income country with an established position in international structures – should now act deliberately, consistently and strategically, moving beyond the self-definition of a “new donor.

Among the key topics addressed are:

  • the changing nature of development cooperation in response to global crises,
  • the growing interlinkage between aid and foreign policy,
  • the need to strengthen the involvement of the private sector,
  • opportunities and challenges related to the reconstruction of Ukraine,
  • recommendations for reforming the operating model of the Polish Aid programme.

The authors emphasise that effective development cooperation today requires not only financial resources, but above all clearly defined objectives, a strategic approach, and the ability to build partnerships. Only then can it become one of Poland’s key tools of influence on the international stage – an element of smart power to be used responsibly and effectively.