On the 7th of September, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers selected three candidates for the post of Commissioner for Human Rights. One of them is Marek Antoni Nowicki, president of the Helsinki foundation for Human Rights since November 2003.

Marek Antoni Nowicki studied law at Warsaw University. In the year 2000, he was nominated to the post of International Ombudsperson in Kosovo, and since 2003 he has been one of the European Union’s experts on fundamental rights. He co-founded the Helsinki Committee in Poland in 1982, and for his activities in opposition to the communist government of Poland, he was bared from holding the position of attorney. In 1990, he co-founded the Helsinki foundation for Human Rights. In 1991-92 he was President of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights.

In the years 1993–99 he was a member of the European Commission for Human Rights in Strasburg. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe called on him to asses the situation regarding the rule of law and Human Rights in Moldova and Azerbaijan. He is also the author of many books and articles about human rights and problems of the rule of law in Poland and abroad, and in particular, about the European Convention on Human Rights.

As newly elected Commissioner, Marek Antoni Nowicki would like to implement Protocol 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which anticipates the simplification of the tasks of the European Tribunal for Human Rights as well as the effective use of the Commissioner’s powers. He would also like to strengthen the dialogue between the member states of the Council, NGOs, and the structures of civil society. He would also like to deepen the co-operation between the council and other institutions active in the field of Human Rights.

The final decision as to the post of Commissioner belongs to the Parliamentary Association of the Council of Europe, and will be made during its October session, some time between the 3rd and the 7th of October.