Concept of Russian Federation’s State Policy in the Area ofInternational Development Assistance

I.    General provisions

1. This Concept represents a vision of goals, objectives, principles and main directions of the Russian Federation’s State Policy in the area of international development assistance, as well as of priorities for and modalities of providing technical, financial, humanitarian, and other assistance to foreign states with a view to promote sustainable socio-economic development of recipient countries and settlement of crisis situations caused by natural disasters, manmade disasters or other emergencies, and internal and/or international conflicts.

2. The Russian Federation’s State Policy in the area of international development assistance is based on the Constitution of the Russian Federation, generally accepted principles and rules of international law, international agreements of the Russian Federation, Budget Code of the Russian Federation, other  laws and regulations of the Russian Federation, National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2020, Concept of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, and decisions of the President of the Russian Federation and Government of the Russian Federation  on relation with international organizations and foreign states. The Russian Federation’s State Policy in the area of international development assistance is implemented with due regard to the main documents of the United Nations, including the provisions of the UN Charter, the UN Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation), the 2005 World Summit Outcome, Document, «The Future We Want» Outcome Document of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled "The Future We Want", as well as provisions of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, the Accra Agenda for Action, Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, Strategy of Economic Development of the Commonwealth of Independent States for the period up to 2020, and the 2013 St. Petersburg Development Outlook.

3. Aware of its historical responsibility for the formation of a modern system of international relations and its further improvement, the Russian Federation considers international development assistance as an effective mechanism to solve global and regional problems and to respond to new challenges and threats. Consistent implementation of this Concept will help promote Russia’s national interests in this area by maximizing the return on aid provided. The experience accumulated in the field of international cooperation and its own donor potential allows Russia, while enhancing the time-tested formats of participation in international cooperation and in multilateral projects, to strengthen focus on targeted bilateral assistance programs and to competently select recipient countries, based on the provisions of the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2020 and the Concept of Russian Federation’s Foreign Policy.

4. Russia supports the strive of the international community for sustainable socio-economic development of all States, which is a foundation of the modern system of international stability and collective security, and seeks to facilitate such development through its State policy in that area.

5. Russia pursues an active and targeted policy in the area of international development assistance, which serves the national interests of the country, contributes to the stabilization of the socio-economic and political situation in recipient States, and formation of good neighborly relations with neighboring States, facilitates the elimination of existing and  potential hotbeds of tension and conflict,  especially in the regions neighboring the Russian Federation, as well as help strengthen the country’s positions in the world community, and eventually, create favorable external conditions for the development of the Russian Federation.

II. Objectives and principles of the Russian Federation’s State Policy in the Area of International Development Assistance
    
6. The objectives of the Russian Federation’s State Policy in the Area of international development assistance at the global level are as follows:

a) eliminating poverty and promoting sustainable socio-economic development of recipient States, including post-conflict States;
b) influencing global processes in order to form a stable and just world order based on the universally recognized rules of international law and partnership relations among States;
c) responding to natural or manmade disasters and other emergencies;
d) providing support for international efforts and initiatives to improve the transparency, quality and effectiveness of international development assistance and active participation in the development of common approaches to the implementation of agreed decisions that area; and
e) strengthening positive image of the Russian Federation and its cultural and humanitarian influence  in the world.

7. The objectives of Russian Federation's State Policy in the Area of International Development Assistance at the regional level are as follows:

a) establishing a belt of good neighborly relations with neighboring States, contributing to the elimination of existing and potential hotbeds of tension and conflict and sources of illegal drug trafficking, international terrorism and organized crime, especially, in regions neighboring the Russian Federation and preventing their occurrence;
b) facilitating the integration processes in the space of the Commonwealth of Independent States;
c) promoting good governance based on the principles of the rule of law and respect of human rights in recipient States and encouraging self-reliance of the governments of those States in addressing emerging problems, provided they comply with the international law principle of States 'responsibility for the internal and external  policy they pursue towards both their citizens and the international community;
г) facilitate the development of trade and economic cooperation.

8. The principles of the Russian Federation's State Policy in the Area of International Development Assistance are as follows:

a) Russia’s commitment to priorities of sustainable development of recipient States, concentration of efforts to achieve concrete results in combating poverty and inequality, cooperation with recipient States in the area of international development assistance in order to enhance trust and mutual respect and to ensure transparency and accountability;
b) focus on strengthening equality and democratization of the system of international relations and on the acceleration of the socio-economic development of recipient States;
c) provision of targeted assistance and pursuing dialogue with recipient States, taking into account political, economic, social, environmental, and other characteristics of each of those States;
d) interaction with third countries and coordination of joint activities in the area of international development assistance, especially in responding to natural or manmade disasters and other emergencies.

III. Regional priorities of the Russian Federation and modalities of international development assistance

9. International development assistance may be provided to:

a) Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Republic of Abkhazia, the Republic of South Ossetia, and other states pursuing a policy of good neighborliness and alliance with Russia, as well as individual States participating  along with the Russian Federation in international associations and organizations in Eurasia;
b) States with long-standing friendly relations with Russia;
c) States participating  together with Russian in the implementation of joint economic and social projects of mutual interest;
d) developing States, cooperation with which serves the national interests of the Russian Federation.

10. Priority areas of international development assistance at regional and global levels corresponding to the national interests of Russia  as follows:

a) improving the functioning of public administration, including public finance management, in recipient States;
b) improving the environment for trade and investment activities in recipient States , including through simplifying procedures for cross-border movement of goods and services;
c) building industrial and innovation potential in recipient States;
d) fostering economic activity in the recipient States and enabling environment for the participation therein of the low- income population groups;
e) establishing and improving national systems for combating organized crime and international terrorism and suppressing the financing of criminal groups and organizations;
f) supporting post-conflict peace-building efforts , facilitating progressive socioeconomic development of States emerging from  armed conflicts and preventing the recurrence of  the latter, through expanding Russia’s participation in international peacekeeping operations , as well as in the work of the  Peacebuilding Commission;
g) facilitating to the regional economic integration, development of state institutions, creation of transport infrastructure, efficient use of natural resources, management and implementation of social and economic projects in recipient States with the involvement of low-income population groups in the production activities in those States;
h) providing access of the recipient States' population to essential sources of livelihood, primarily to water and electricity;
i) creating conditions necessary to ensure the technological sovereignty of recipient states in the field of information and communication technologies and to bridge the digital divide between developed and developing countries;
j) facilitating efforts to ensure food security and agricultural development of recipient states;
k) strengthening national health and social protection systems designed, inter alia, to combat  the spread of infectious diseases;
l) improving the quality of education, especially primary and vocational training, as well as their availability for the population in the recipient States;
m) adopting measures aimed to protect the environment and to solve trans-border environmental problems;
n) developing democratic society institutions, including protection of human rights.

11. International development assistance shall be provided on a bilateral and multilateral basis in the following forms:

а) on a bilateral basis:
- allocation of targeted financial grants or provision of goods or services to recipient States on a grant basis;
- provision of concessional loans to finance industrial and agricultural imports in the recipient States; or implementation of investment projects therein on terms of maturity (with loans available for a longer period of time than commercial loans), interest payment (at a concessional rates ) and repayment of the principal (funds are not provided as grants);
- provision of technical assistance to recipient States through transferring to recipient countries knowledge and experience with a view to strengthening institutional and human resource capacities in the areas of health, education, environmental protection, disaster management, counter-terrorism, etc.;
- provision of debt relief, including through debt-for-development swaps, subject to the debtor's undertaking to use the freed resources for the  socio-economic development of the recipient State;
- provision of tariff preferences and other privileges in order to facilitate access of their exports to the Russian market;
- making target contributions for the implementation of international programs using the capacities of international organizations and provision of other assistance bearing in mind that the Russian Federation reserves  the right to exercise its own discretion in making decisions with regard to the choice of recipient State, the nature of assistance, the dispatch of Russian experts to provide technical assistance trilateral assistance), as well as the procurement of non-primary goods and services;
b) on a multilateral basis:
- payment of contributions to international organizations of the UN system, other international organizations and international financial institutions, as well as international and global funds;
- participation in initiatives undertaken in compliance with agreements reached in the framework of the Group of Eight, the Group of Twenty, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the BRICS, and other organizations and associations.

IV. Development and implementation of the Russian Federation's State Policy in the Area of International Development Assistance

12. Development and implementation of the Russian Federation's State Policy in the area of International Development Assistance as one  of the aspects of the foreign policy shall be accomplished out in accordance with the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation.

13. Mechanisms for the implementation of the Russian Federation's State Policy in the Area of International Development Assistance shall include:

a) State Programs of the Russian Federation, managed by federal executive authorities responsible, within their terms of reference, for ensuring, Russia’s participation in international development assistance;
b) Commission of the Russian Federation for International Development Assistance, to be established in order to coordinate the activities of federal executive authorities in the area of international development assistance and to prepare proposals on main directions of the Russian Federation's State policy in that area for  the President of the Russian Federation. The Statute of the Commission and its composition shall be approved by the President of the Russian Federation.

14. Information support for the Russian Federation's State Policy in the Area of International Development Assistance shall be provided by all relevant Russian entities involved in development assistance activities, both in the recipient and donor States.

15. Provision of international development assistance by Russia shall be considered and decided upon subject to the availability of the following grounds:

a) a request for development assistance submitted by a foreign State;
b) an initiative to provide assistance coming from relevant federal authorities or authorities of constituent entities of the Russian Federation bordering recipient States;
c) a proposal by an international organization to provide financial or technical assistance in the implementation of some initiative;
d) an initiative to provide assistance coming from the Russian business community or non-governmental organizations;
e) the availability in the recipient States of national anti-poverty programs and strategies for sustainable socio-economic development, improvement of social institutions in the fields of education, health, and social assistance to the poor;
f)  the recipient State's interest in the progressive development of bilateral relations.

16. The decision to provide or discontinue assistance to a foreign State shall be made by the Government of the Russian Federation.

17. The Russian Federation shall support international development assistance programs in priority areas, States, and regions implemented by constituent entities of the Russian Federation governments, bodies of the local self-government authorities, Russian business community, and non-governmental organizations, at their own expense.

V. Role of the academic community, the public and the business community in providing international development assistance

18. Representatives of the academic community, the public and the business community may be involved in the implementation of the Russian Federation's State Policy in the Area of International Development Assistance. At  their request, federal authorities shall provide information  about opportunities for developing partnerships with the recipient States, support investors and exporters in establishing and maintaining relations with those States,  create conditions for the private sector's participation in the implementation of international development assistance–related projects in developing country.

19. Public associations, non-governmental organizations and non-profit organizations registered in the Russian Federation may develop cooperation with foreign  public and charity organizations, promoting cultural and humanitarian relations. Allocation of federal budgetary resources to such associations and organizations registered in the Russian Federation with a view to using their potential to deliver Russia’s assistance to the recipient States shall be considered in accordance with the established procedure.

VI. Accountability for funds allocated by the Russian Federation to provide international development assistance and evaluation of their utilization effectiveness

20. Information on the volume and forms of international development assistance has to be recorded, on a timely manner, by federal authorities responsible for the analysis of the projects and for the accounting for funds allocated by the Russian Federation for international development assistance.

21. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the utilization of funds allocated from the federal budget for international development assistance shall be carried out on the basis of following principal criteria:

a) achievement of result of the assistance;
b) cost-benefit ratio
c) achievement of a result comparable to or exceeding the results  of similar projects implemented in the area of international development assistance;
d) sustaining a positive  effect achieved as a result of the assistance ;
e) relevancy of the assistance provided as part of the general policy in the area of international development assistance;
f) contribution to the development of bilateral cooperation between the recipient States and the Russian Federation in the political and other fields;
g) promoting a of positive perception of the Russian Federation as a donor country in the recipient State, as well as in other donor countries;
з) expected and unexpected results achieved in providing international development assistance.

22. Evaluation of the effectiveness of projects implemented by the Russian Federation in the framework international development assistance shall be carried out in cooperation with relevant authorities of the recipient States and/or heads of international organizations.