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Council of Europe discusses world’s first mechanism for dealing with war reparations

11.10.2023

During a session of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Special Rapporteur Lord Richard Keen presented the report Reparation and reconciliation processes to overcome past conflicts and build a common peaceful future – the question of just and equal redress. The report calls on Council of Europe member states to enter into dialogue with the countries they had been in conflict with in the past.

Deputy Minister Mularczyk during a session of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The presented report is the result of a motion put forward by MFA Secretary of State Arkadiusz Mularczyk to commence work on a resolution on the right to just and equal redress and access to court and a fair trial based on the letter of the law for all victims of the German aggression during the Second World War.

The report lays the groundwork for future discussions among states on post-war reparations for both the current conflicts, like Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, and the past ones, like Germany’s genocidal occupation of Poland. Its authors argue that CoE member states have an obligation to ensure an effective remedy for the victims of human rights violations. It furthermore refers to Poland’s claims against Germany, the Second World War, and the invoking of state immunity as a general line of defence to protect the aggressor state. 

Deputy Minister Mularczyk has welcomed the report. He emphasised that the goal of the document is to provide a platform for Council of Europe member states to freely discuss any unresolved conflicts.

Poland as a state has received neither reparations nor appropriate compensation for individual victims. Poland has repeatedly approached Germany about launching talks on WWII compensation while Germany has consistently refused dialogue.

On the basis of the report of war losses published on 1 September 2022 and the Sejm resolution of 18 April 2023, Poland is seeking EUR 1.3 trillion from Germany as compensation for, among others, over five million killed Polish citizens, destruction, enforced slave labour, and looted cultural goods and bank assets.

 

MFA Press Office

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