Promotion of National Capacities for Development Cooperation Program

Hungary

UNDP – MFA – HUN-IDAProgramme/Project

Number: HUN/02/002//01/99

Introduction to HUN-IDA

In accordance with the Hungarian non-profit law, HUN-IDA has been established in 2001 as a public beneficiary company.

  The main objective of HUN-IDA

is the coordination and implementation of international development activities, which contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Goals adopted by the UN in 2000.

Establishment of HUN-IDA

During its operation, HUN-IDA has been relying on and using the four decennial institutional knowledge, experiences, network and references of its founder, TESCO (Technical and Scientific Cooperation) Consulting Co. Ltd. which were accumulated by its international technical assistance activity with 57 countries.

Present Activities of HUN-IDA

HUN-IDA considers the transmission of the Hungarian experiences and preparedness as an accentuated task for third countries in the frame of development programs.

  HUN-IDA enlarges its international network and

cooperation in the international donor community with those organizations, whose main activity focuses on the international development.

 

Present Activitiescont.

HUN-IDA considers the followings as its additional primary tasks:

to increase the knowledge of the Hungarian society on the possibilities of the Hungarian expertise connecting to the international development projects,

to develop the experience and competitiveness of the Hungarian experts, institutions, private sector, non-profit and civil partners needed for the international projects

Cooperating partners

 

    

                                           

 

UNDP in Hungary

UNDP acts as a partner in helping Hungary as an emerging donor country

UNDP Country Cooperation Framework to identify capacity building for development cooperation

Promotion of National Capacities for Development Cooperation Program of the Government of Hungary 2002-2004. Document signed in December 2002

Promotion of National Capacities for Development Cooperation Program

Executing Agency: MFA, Dept. for Int. Dev. Coop.

Implementing Agency: HUN-IDAGovernment counterpart: MFA

Objective of Project: Helping Hungary in its transition to a donor country Strengthening national and human capacities Helping to prepare assistance concept and program Assistance in gaining public and political support

Activities and Accomplishments of the Project

1st meeting of the Steering Committee (held on the 26th of May 2003)

Existing and planned linkages and current levels of DC interest in key sectors: conference on Hungary as an emerging donor (31 March 2003)

Existing and planned linkages and current levels of DC interest in NGO sector - conference (2 June 2003)

Visit with selected bilateral donor agency. Exchange of ideas and experience. Participation on the conference of TRIALOG in Vienna (25-28 June 2003)

Knowledge Transfer project profiles for the preparation of ODA for the MFA

1st meeting of the Steering Committee (held on the 26th of May

2003)

Assignment and confirmation of the Members of the Steering Committee. Members are:MFA, Department of International Development Cooperation

Ministry of Education, Department of International Bilateral RelationsMinistry of Labour, International RelationsMinistry of Environment and WaterMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of International RelationsMinistry of Health, Social and Family AffairsMinistry of Finance, Department of International RelationsUNDPProfessor Mihály Simai, Institute for World EconomicsHUN-IDA

Main statements of the Steering Committee

Hungary has a significant history in the field of activities concerning DC. Based on the obtained experience, regional knowledge, intercultural knowledge and relations and concentrating on some important fields the future concept must be formed according to the new conditions and expectations.

There is a considerable interest in the experience deriving from the transitional period of the Hungarian economical and political system. Important fields of development cooperation could be those projects, which provide the knowledge transfer concerning the transition’s problems

The setting up of the Hungarian expert basis is a primary task, which will be supported by the ministries. A list of experts (who worked for international institutes and took part in foreign projects) registered by each ministry, has to be elaborated. A list of foreign experts invited by the ministries is also required

Working with other donors enables Hungary to be more economical, therefore more can be achieved with less resource, and more practice can be learned about the mechanism of developed donor countries. The utilization of sources has to be concentrated, a common, transparent system that also complies with the international norms, has to be developed

Existing and planned linkages and current levels of DC interest in key

sectors

Conference on Hungary as an emerging donor. 1-day seminar for the representatives of the line ministries.Lectures and consultancies with participation of international ODA experts and national experts

Existing and planned linkages and current levels of DC interest in key

sectors

Deliverers of lectures: Gábor Szentiványi, Deputy State Secretary of MFA on “The Concept of

Hungarian Development Cooperation”Professor Mihály Simai, Member of the Academy of Sciences, President

of the Hungarian UN Society on “The Development Cooperation in the Globalisation Process”

Ben Slay, Director of UNDP Regional Office, Bratislava on “The Project of Promotion of National Capacities for Development Cooperation”, “East-East Cooperation”

David Chaplin, Regional Director of CIDA on “Canada’s ODA”, “The ODACE Program”

Leonidas Antonakopoulos, Director, EU DG Development on “The Development co-operation strategy and policy of the EU”

Ritva Jolkkonen, Director of International Development Cooperation at The Finnish MFA on “A Brief History and Present-day Challenges of Finnish Development Cooperation”

Existing and planned linkages and current levels of DC interest in NGO

sectors

1-day seminar for NGO representatives of Hungary. Lectures and consultancies with participation of 2 international ODA experts and a national jurist

Existing and planned linkages and current levels of DC interest in NGO

sectors

o   Deliverers of lectures:

Nóra Sasvári, Prime minister’s Office, State Secretariat for cooperation with the civil society: -Legal status of civil institutions, funds and NGOs-Governmental strategies for civil institutions-Cooperation of ministries regarding the civil society-Dialogue between the Government and the civil society-The capacity building for, and supporting the civil society

Richard Lewartowsky, ECHOS Humanitarian Aid:-The role of ECHOS-NGOs humanitarian activities 

Katrin Pröll, TRIALOG:-TRIALOG and NGOs- EU Enlargement and NGDOs

Knowledge Transfer project profiles for the preparation of ODA for the

MFA

Vietnam: five projects in the fields of agricultural development, debt management and privatization

Bosnia-Herzegovina & Serbia-Montenegro: projects in the fields of debt management and privatization, public administration reform, sme

Palestine: one project in the field of economical restructuring and strategical planning

China: one project in the field of knowledge transfer for China’s WTO membership

Afghanistan: identification of possible projects on poverty reduction

“Study tour on institutional framework and debt strategy”

For the commission of UNDP Vietnam HUN-IDA had organised a week-long study tour program for a five member Vietnamese delegation.

Participants: Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Office of the Government

Theme: Experience, strategy and institutional framework of Hungarian debt management

Hungarian partners: Ministry of Finance, Government Debt Management Agency, former president of NBH

Plans

Existing and planned linkages and current levels of DC interest in key sectors – conferences on:- private sector in the development policy- NGI in the development policy

Participation in the workshop in 13-16 October, 2003 on „poverty reduction, debt relief and related financial instruments, trade and development” financed by BMZ, with the involvement of Inwent, WB, UNDP

Thank you for your kind attention!