The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the elaboration and implementation of Lithuanian development assistance policy, while the Ministry of Finance is responsible for co-ordinating the policy with international organisations and the allocation of funds for membership contributions. Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the focal point for policy and co-ordination of international development co-operation is the Development Assistance Division of the Department of Multilateral Relations, which employs five diplomats and one civil servant. This organisation is scheduled for restructure in 2007, with the establishment of a separate department with two divisions: multilateral co-operation and bilateral co-operation. With this re-organisation, human resources are expected to increase.

The main policy document is the ‘Government Decision on the Guidelines for Lithuanian Development Co-operation Policy for 2006-2010’. This document explicitly states Lithuania’s commitment to work towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to support the Paris Declaration and the European Consensus on Development. Compared to the ‘Concept Paper on Lithuania’s Development Cooperation for the period of 2003–2005’, the main sectors for intervention and the geographical scope of Lithuania’s development policy remain largely unchanged. However, the document also refers to possible assistance to post-conflict countries (such as Afghanistan or Iraq) and to Africa (Mauritania). Having neither previous experience in development co-operation nor diplomatic representations in Africa, this is Lithuania’s first initiative in this continent. An agreement between political parties concerning the goals of Lithuanian foreign policy for the years 2004–2008 lends support to the efforts of the international community to eradicate poverty.

A budget line for international co-operation was established as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs budget in 2002. Between 2002 and 2004, Lithuania’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) increased tenfold. The inclusion of Belarus and Ukraine on the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of ODA recipient countries from 2006 will result in a further increase in the coming years.

In 2005, Lithuanian ODA amounted to € 12.5 million (LTL 49 million). This amount is about 0.062% of gross national income (GNI). As agreed at the European Union (EU) summit in May 2005, Lithuania aims to increase its ODA to 0.17% of GNI by 2010 and 0.33% by 2015. In 2004, its ODA was € 7.66 million, representing 0.0418% of GNI. A further € 5.4 million was contributed as official assistance, with € 4.64 million channelled through multilateral agencies and € 0.79 million directly to Part II countries of the DAC list.

In 2004, around 10% of all Lithuanian aid was allocated through the bilateral channel. Lithuanian bilateral assistance is purely project-based. The possibility of participating in donor collaborations of budgetary support programmes or sector approaches is not considered for the moment.

Lithuania focuses its international development co-operation on areas where it has a comparative advantage – e.g. in reform transformations – and in-depth experience.

Priority sectors are:

• strengthening of democracy, human rights, good governance and the rule of law;
• economic development;
• European integration processes; and
• administrative capacity building.

Priority countries are:

• In Eastern Europe: Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine;
• In the South Caucasus –Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia;
• Countries recovering from conflicts, such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

Currently, Lithuania is preparing country strategy papers for Moldova and Georgia, therefore, these two countries are the main priority for Lithuanian development assistance in the coming years. Another important partner country for bilateral assistance is Afghanistan, where Lithuania is leading the Province Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Ghore province.

In 2004, projects included training civil servants in Armenia and Ukraine, an equality project in Kaliningrad and study visits from Belarus and Iraq. A regional project is aimed at enhancing partnership in Northern Europe (E-PINE). In 2005, projects included training civil servants in Ukraine, Moldavia and Azerbaijan; fighting corruption in the Kyrgyzstan; long-term technical assistance to Georgia; and offering study visits and scholarships to Belarus citizens and consultations for Belarus farmers.

In 2004, around 90% of total ODA was allocated multilaterally. Lithuanian multilateral aid is channelled through the EU (contributions to the European Commission general budget), through UN agencies (OCHA, UNESCO) and other international organisations (WIPO, FAO, WMO, ILO, IPO, ITU, and IBRD).

The field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is not a priority sector for Lithuania’s development co-operation policy. Multilaterally, Lithuania neither contributes to UNFPA, UNIFEM, UNAIDS nor the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. However, in 2006, Lithuania co-financed the ‘Study tour of Belarusian experts to Lithuania: Exchange of practice on effective measures of HIV prevention among IDUs’. Moreover, in 2004, a conference on HIV/AIDS was organised in Vilnius, in collaboration with the European Commission. Its aim was to strengthen networking and partnership on HIV/AIDS and related issues among the new and old EU Member States, and with countries outside the EU.

Every year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes open calls for proposals for development co-operation projects to be implemented by Lithuanian NGOs. However, this is done on an ad hoc basis without a programme framework. In addition, some donors, like Sweden, have supported ad hoc activities aimed at NGOs. The ministry also provides training and workshops to strengthen NGOs’ capabilities and awareness about development co-operation, and recently an NGO platform was established. There is in general a lack of awareness of development co-operation issues among the general public in Lithuania. As a result, a priority objective for 2006 was to raise awareness of development co-operation and involve NGOs in the implementation of development projects.

In order to find out about calls for proposals, contact:

Name:
Ms. Irena Urbutyte
Head, Development Assistance Division

Phone:
+370-5 236 25 72Department of Multilateral Relations

Fax:
+370-5 2313090

Email:
irena.urbutyte@urm.lt

Website:
www.urm.lt

Address:
Development Assistance Division
Department of Multilateral Relations
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania
J. Tumo-Vaizganto g. 2
LT 015 11 Vilnius
Lithuania

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Urbutyte, Irena, Head of Development Assistance Division, Department of Multilateral Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania