On 26 May, Katarzyna Czaplicka and Jan Szczyciński made presentations to the “Poland’s specialisation in development cooperation – opportunities, challenges, risks” Conference, organised by the Polish Institute of International Affairs.

The conference consisted of 3 panels.

• During the first panel, “To assist, or not to assist? Polish development assistance factors and motivations”, the discussion centred on the significance and role of  development cooperation in shaping international relations. A high degree of attention was given to Poland’s actual position within the global aid system, as well as to the factors, limitations and motivations influencing the shape of Poland’s system of development cooperation.

The panel participants included:
- Deputy Tadeusz Iwiński, Parliamentary Commission for External Affairs;
- Dariusz Rosiak, journalist, „Rzeczpospolita”;
- Jan Szczyciński, expert, UNDP and GDRG;
- Izabela Wilczyńska, expert, Polish Humanitarian Organization.

• The 2nd Panel was entitled “Poland’s strengths and weaknesses in international development cooperation”. The panellists’ discussion focused on the areas of the effectiveness, coherence and effects of Polish aid. Attempts to identify Poland’s relative strengths within the international aid system elicited a particularly animated discussion.

Among the panellists were:
- Katarzyna Czaplicka, president, GDRG;
- Adam Leszczyński, journalist, „Gazeta Wyborcza”;
- Mirosław Sycz, deputy director, Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Wojciech Tworkowski, executive director, Zagranica Group.

• Panel 3, “Polish areas of specialisation and directions in international development cooperation” concentrated on issues surrounding the international division of labour and various countries’ specialisations in development cooperation. One of the highlights of the panel was the discussion over Polish aid’s  geographic priorities, initiated by the question “East or South?”.

The panel benefited from the contributions of:
- Agata Czaplińska, deputy director, Department of Implementation of Development Programmes, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Wojciech Cegielski, journalist, TVP Info, Polskie Radio;
- Patryk Kugiel, analyst, Polish Institute of International Affairs;
- Marcin Wojtalik, member of management, Institute of Global Responsibility.