Thursday 28 March 2024 | 12:36

Civil society’s role and place in the system of donor assistance to Belarus (2006-2012)

01.04.2015  |  Politics   |  Alena Zuikova, Andrei Yahorau, Centre for European Transformation,  
Civil society’s role and place in the system of donor assistance to Belarus (2006-2012)

The Centre for European Transformation has prepared a working paper on civil society’s role and place in the system of external assistance to Belarus.

There is a need to monitor external development aid to Belarus in order to make this process more open and to broaden the possibilities of public control over the distribution of donor assistance. In recent years, many Belarusan experts, government officials, and politicians quite often speculate on the topic of donor assistance rendered to Belarus. The governmental authorities and top-level officials try to present the situation in such a manner that all external assistance from foreign countries and international structures is rendered exclusively to support Belarus’ civil society and democratization (or, in their terminology, to support the “fifth column” and to “overthrow the current political regime”). In the political opposition environment, there are recriminations that external assistance is used inappropriately and the allotted means should be monitored. Representatives of the “third sector” pay attention to the low transparency of large-scale projects of cooperation with the state and, as a whole, the low involvement of civil society in the implementation of programs of donor assistance to Belarus. The politically active part of Internet users in social media and forums criticizes public and political forces for they senselessly “guzzle” grants away. As a rule, all these allegations are not based on any real facts and, at best, reflect one’s personal experience of dealing with some aspects of the implementation of grant projects or activity of public and political organizations. In order to be able to form a well-founded judgement, it is necessary to lean on concrete facts and real data, and this research is carried out to present such information.

This research presents an overall picture of external assistance to Belarus from 2006 to 2012 and underlines the questions of financial support to civil society’s activity, as well as the place of the EU and its member states in the general system of donor assistance. This work is a continuation of the research carried out by the Center for European Transformation in 2013 and inherits its general logic. The analysis of the total amount of external assistance, basic donors’ assistance rendering models, the use of distribution channels, and shares of assistance in separate sectors is supplemented by the data for 2012, as well as a number of new generalizations concerning the structure of assistance from separate countries and the share of Belarus in the structure of assistance to the Eastern Partnership countries.

The data on assistance is taken from open sources, in particular — OECD, EuropeAid, national development agencies (Sida, Polska pomoc, BMZ, etc.).

The use of open sources imposes certain restrictions on the possibilities of analysis in connection with the incompleteness of their data. On open access, there is data on the annual volume of the assistance of all EU countries; however, the data on the distribution of donors’ assistance as for channels and directions is limited — there is no full data on Sweden’s assistance in 2012; there is no detailed data on the assistance of Poland and some other EU countries. For this reason, in our research, we analyze the distribution of assistance as for channels and sectors rendered by 15 EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Finland, France, and the Czech Republic. The annual volume of assistance from the other EU countries (except for Poland and Sweden) is so insignificant that the schemes received during the analysis of the available data can be extended to the structure of assistance from all EU countries put together. The absence of the data on Poland’s and Sweden’s assistance, in its turn, can strongly deform the general schemes. For this reason, the aggregated data on 2006-2012 and on 2012 include the data on the assistance from the above mentioned 15 EU countries. Also, when necessary, we underline that Poland and/or Sweden are excluded from the analysis.

In view of the periodicity of receiving the statistical reports on the volumes and structure of assistance to separate countries, an adequate analysis can be presented only for 2012; the full volume of data on 2013 will be available only in the beginning of 2015.

Download document

About authors:

Alena Zuikova is an analyst of the Center for European Transformation, master of political science. She graduated from European Humanities University (Vilnius, Lithuania) with her bachelor’s degree in political science and European studies. She also graduated from the Institut d'Études Politiques de Lille (Institute of Political Science, Lille, France) with her master’s degree in European affairs. Her research interests include the European neighborhood policy, the Eastern Partnership, the European policy concerning Belarus, the European policy of development; civil society, CSOs’ role in Belarus democratization processes, and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Andrei Yahorau is the director of the Center for European Transformation, master of political science. He graduated from the Politology Department of Belarusan State University and received his master’s degree in political science at the same university. Since 2001, he has been working in the field of political research. His research interests include post-Soviet territory transformation, civil society, political transformations in Belarus and the Eastern Partnership region, and European studies.

Other news section «Politics»

Andrei Yahorau — Al Jazeera: “Lukashenko is irresponsible”
Andrei Yahorau — Al Jazeera: “Lukashenko is irresponsible”
He said Belarus would likely face economic tightening not only as a result of the coronavirus pandemic but also a Russian trade oil crisis that worsened this past winter.
Shhh! Belarus Wants You to Think It’s Turning Over a New Leaf
Shhh! Belarus Wants You to Think It’s Turning Over a New Leaf
Minsk’s muddled media clampdown could jeopardize warming of relations with the West.
Statement of the BNP in connection with the wave of searches in the editorial offices of the Belarus
Statement of the BNP in connection with the wave of searches in the editorial offices of the Belarus
The Belarusan National Platform of the EaP CSF issued a statement in connection with the wave of searches in the editorial offices of the Belarusan media and the detention of journalists.
Statement of the Belarusan EaP CSF National Platform on solidarity with the civil society of Armenia
Statement of the Belarusan EaP CSF National Platform on solidarity with the civil society of Armenia
The Belarusan National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum issued a statement on solidarity with the civil society of Armenia.
"Vilnius Consultations": Key points and recommendations on the future of EU Eastern Partnership
"Vilnius Consultations": Key points and recommendations on the future of EU Eastern Partnership
On September 11, the inaugural „Vilnius Consultations“ conference was organized by Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis and Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
From farewell to a new Eastern policy and towards a new development
From farewell to a new Eastern policy and towards a new development
Poland and Germany were both initiators and drivers of a New Eastern policy linked to the Eastern neighborhood and Russia/Soviet Union.
Uladzimir Matskevich: The sooner the "Union State" is denounced, the better for Belarus
Uladzimir Matskevich: The sooner the "Union State" is denounced, the better for Belarus
Not only does the "Union State" undermine the establishment of civilized relations with Europe, but it hinders the possibility of normal relations between Belarus and Russia.
Uladzimir Matskevich: The regime can no longer control the situation in the country
Uladzimir Matskevich: The regime can no longer control the situation in the country
The authorities are unable to prolong the social contract with the people: there is no way out of the social crisis.
Press release in connection with the dialogue in the format of the EU-Belarus Coordination Group
Press release in connection with the dialogue in the format of the EU-Belarus Coordination Group
Belarusan National Platform of the EaP CSF welcomes the dialogue process in the format of the EU-Belarus Coordination Group, the third round of which was held in Minsk on 3-4 April 2017.
Statement of the BNP in connection with the events of March 25-26, 2017 in Minsk and other Belarusan
Statement of the BNP in connection with the events of March 25-26, 2017 in Minsk and other Belarusan
Belarusan National Platform of the EaP CSF issued a statement in connection with the events of March 25-26, 2017 in Minsk and other Belarusan cities.
Statement by the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum on mass repressions in Belarus
Statement by the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum on mass repressions in Belarus
The EaP CSF Steering Committee issued a statement on repressions against civil society activists and journalists in Belarus, in view of the demonstrations planned on 25 March 2017.
Uladzimir Matskevich: Belarus-Ukraine relations need to be re-established
Uladzimir Matskevich: Belarus-Ukraine relations need to be re-established
"Case of Zhadan" demonstrated that Belarus does not actually have a clear policy - neither domestic nor foreign.
Belarus
Belarus's Lukashenko alleges “fifth column” plot as unrest continues
Belarusan President Lukashenko said on Tuesday a “fifth column” was plotting to overthrow him with the help of foreign-backed fighters, days before a planned street protest in Minsk against a new tax.
In Belarus, a rising fear: Will we be the next Ukraine?
In Belarus, a rising fear: Will we be the next Ukraine?
The relationship between Russia and Belarus has never been an easy one.
Andrei Yahorau: European window of opportunity is slowly closing, relations take form of fatigue
Andrei Yahorau: European window of opportunity is slowly closing, relations take form of fatigue
The Belarusian regime is not able to pursue a truly multi-vector policy, and the EU cannot decide what it needs in the region on the whole and from Belarus in particular.
Uladzimir Matskevich: Today Belarus is in a very difficult situation
Uladzimir Matskevich: Today Belarus is in a very difficult situation
But even under the circumstances the authorities have various ways out.
Uladzimir Matskevich: Lukashenka does not disrupt Russian plans to annex Belarus
Uladzimir Matskevich: Lukashenka does not disrupt Russian plans to annex Belarus
But Lukashenka is afraid for his fate and position - he needs Belarus to be sovereign to fully exercise his power.
Andrei Yeliseyeu: Russia is taking drastic unconstructive steps  
Andrei Yeliseyeu: Russia is taking drastic unconstructive steps  
There should be no actual passport control for the Belarusians arriving in Russia within the framework of the existing Belarusian-Russian agreements.
Uladzimir Matskevich: Visa-free regime is not a political concession to the West
Uladzimir Matskevich: Visa-free regime is not a political concession to the West
It is a process of normalization of Belarus-EU relations. Belarus just fulfils its international commitments.
Andrei Yahorau: Belarusian regime is self-improving, the only threat so far is the economy crisis
Andrei Yahorau: Belarusian regime is self-improving, the only threat so far is the economy crisis
Political analyst emphasizes that Belarus is the first modern authoritarianism in the European space, a phenomenon not yet studied by anyone.
Gintautas Mažeikis: The relation of political field and arena in the framework of information war

In his report, philosopher Gintautas Mažeikis discusses several concepts that have been a part of the European social and philosophical thought for quite a time.

“It is our big joint work”

It is impossible to change life in cities just in three years (the timeline of the “Agenda 50” campaign implementation). But changing the structure of relationships in local communities is possible.

Shhh! Belarus Wants You to Think It’s Turning Over a New Leaf

Minsk’s muddled media clampdown could jeopardize warming of relations with the West.

Mikhail Matskevich: How to create a local agenda and make it a problem solving tool

To achieve changes, you need to be interested in them and stop pinning all hopes on the state.