Policy coherence for (sustainable) development - assesment of the effects of Slovenian national policies on developing countries and on the sustainable development of the Republic of Slovenia

Research project focuses on the analyses of the principle of policy coherence for development (PCD) with specific reference to Slovenia. PCD is one of the most important principles of the international development cooperation, embedded both in Maastricht Treaty on EU as well as in all Slovenian strategic documents on international development cooperation. EU as an important donor and creator of the principles for increased effectiveness of development cooperation has set PCD high on the agenda of various documents and actions in development agenda. As an active supporter of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals the EU has integrated the principle of policy coherence for sustainable developemnt in all its policies. Slovenia had already in its first Strategy of international development cooperation(IDC) included the principle of PCD in the key objectives of IDC. Increased policy coherence could contribute to more effective impact of development policy- if of course the objectives are aligned with those policy areas where a positive impact on developing countries can be expected. At the same time, the implementation of the principle of policy coherence for sustainable development in the context of universal Agenda for sustainable development till 2030 requires from the Un member states to integrate this principle in a coherent manner in all their internal as well as external (development) policies. Slovenia needs to establish suitable system for monitoring of the policy coherence for development and sustainable development (PCSD), which will assure monitoring of the preparation of different policies with potential impact on (sustainable) development so as to try to create synergies among them, or at least prevent negative consequences. Analysis of the existing status and elaboration of appropriate starting points for the establishment of such system are, in accordance with the specification of the call, the main objectives of the presented research proposal. Within the first phase of the project, a comprehensive overview of the implementation of the public policies in the five EU priority areas will be carried out, especially of those with the most important impact on sustainable development and developing countries. Considering the fact that most of the Slovenian development assistance is in accordance with the strategic documents concentrated on limited number of content and geographical priorities, we believe that the proposed project should focus in the second phase particularly on the analyses of the PCD/ PCSD in those areas. Both analyses will provide good background for the formulation of the systemic solutions in PCD/ PCSD area, which the contractor needs and are the subject of third and fourth phase of the project.