Poland, as one of the first UN countries, was subject to the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights procedure. The review is conducted by the UN Human Rights Council. Polish nongovernmental organizations, i.e. the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, questioned the governmental report stating that in this report the government presented the situation in Poland ´in a simplified and overly optimistic manner´.(24-APR-08)

Written by Agnieszka Chmielecka/ HRH Warsaw
Source: PAP

At a sitting of the UN, the Polish delegation headed by Witold Waszczykowski – Under Secretary of State from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the Polish Government’s report from the implementation of human rights and replied to questions asked by the representatives of other countries. During the session, representatives of other countries’ governments directed questions to the Polish delegation. These questions concerned i.e. overcrowding of prisons, the issue of xenophobia (e.g. towards the Roma, Jews, homosexuals), the problem of corruption, lack of fair and comprehensive investigations regarding the possible existence of CIA prisons o the territory of Poland, access to therapeutic abortion, in situations that meet the grounds for its performance.

The Government authenticated its report by calling on nongovernmental organizations that allegedly participated in its preparation. The organizations emphasize however that the Government’s cooperation with them was presented in a manner that is over-exaggerated and unrealistic.

Polish NGOs about the report
Polish nongovernmental organizations – observers of the UN session – inter alia the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and the Polish Section of the International Commission of Jurists, or – a member of the national delegation – the Polish Federation for Woman and Family Planning considered that the report contained a lot of untrue information. A representative of the Ministry of Health stated e.g. that as a result of the verdict of the Court in Strasbourg in the case of Alicja Tysi¹c appropriate procedures were introduced in Poland to hinder the opportunity to appeal a doctor’s decision regarding the refusal to carry out a medically justified abortion. Meanwhile, such a regulation is only now being considered and it will be some time before it is introduced. Referring to the issue of discrimination, NGOs also drew attention to the fact that the Government’s representatives emphasized that “great significance is given to such values as pluralism and multi-culture at Polish schools and studies about human rights have become a part of the curriculum at elementary and above-elementary school level, along with the handbooks used to teach them”. According to these organizations, a diagnosis or assessment of legal instruments applied with regard to such issues as: aid for crime victims, domestic violence, problems connected with HIV/AIDS and patients’ rights, was either never presented or was extremely simplified. Issues associated with sustained application of pre-trial detention, inobservance of reproductive rights in Poland or the lack of ethics classes at schools were never addressed by the Government.

A special work group made up of representatives of the Polish Government and representatives from three other countries, in Poland’s case Brazil, Angola and Japan, issued a report assessing human rights abidance in Poland. According to representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the report was favorably received ´and aroused great interest´.