Participation of non-governmental organizations in countering corruption in Poland: legal framework and implementation practices

Poland has developed a sufficiently effective and systematic approach to combating corruption among post-socialist countries. Cooperation between the authorities and non-governmental organizations is an important part of the fight against corruption in Poland. Purpose: to show the role of non-governmental organizations in Poland, to determine their main functions, goals and forms of their activities; to show the experience and challenges of interaction between the government and non-governmental organizations. Methods: the paper is based on a combination of general scientific methods (system analysis, ascent from the abstract to the concrete, synthesis, typological method, etc.) and special methods of law and political science research (comparative, content analysis, etc.). Results: The paper shows the role of non-governmental organizations in shaping the anti-corruption strategy of Poland. Their goals, functions and forms of activity, sources of their financing are analyzed. The author highlights the following positive forms of interaction between the state and non-governmental organizations: involvement of the authorities in debates and conferences held by non-governmental organizations, allocation of grants to finance their activities, taking into account the proposals of non-governmental organizations in the activities of the authorities. The author distinguishes among the negative forms: reduction of external funding in connection with state policy, violations of human rights by state bodies, violation of the obligation of non-governmental organizations to prepare an annual report on their activities. The paper concludes that it is possible to apply the positive experience of Poland in the post-Soviet countries.