The delegation came to Poland as part of ECRI's ongoing sixth monitoring cycle. In the cycle's framework, ECRI examines the situation in all the member states of the Council of Europe in the following thematic areas: effective equality and access to rights; hate speech and hate-motivated violence; and integration and inclusion. Also subject to ECRI's examination are other issues of special significance for the different member states, in particular the implementation of recommendations made after the previous, fifth monitoring cycle.

During their visit, the ECRI delegates also met with the Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment and with the Director of the National Freedom Institute. They held meetings with the Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights and officials from the Office of the Commissioner and the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children's Rights, as well as with representatives of the two chambers of the Polish parliament, the Sejm and the Senate, including the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons of the Polish parliament's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and representatives of the parliamentary committees for ethics, human rights, and migration.

Featured high on the visit's agenda were thematic panels with representatives of ministries and central authorities, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Poland, and the Supreme Administrative Court. The panels centred around the issues of inclusive education; illegal immigrants and asylum seekers; integration and inclusion of foreigners as well as national and ethnic minorities; LGBT persons' equality; combating hate speech and hate crimes; and the situation of the Roma.  

The ECRI delegates took part in two field visits, to Maszkowice and Łącko (where they met with the authorities of Łącko Municipality and of the school in Maszkowice) and to Gdańsk (to meet with the municipal authorities, the Immigrant Council, and the Local Representative of the Commissioner for Human Rights). While in Gdańsk and in Maszkowice, the ECRI delegation also visited Roma settlements. A number of ECRI-organised meetings with non-governmental organisations were held as well.

The visit was a step in ECRI's work on its sixth country report on Poland, which is likely to be released in the autumn of 2023. The last time ECRI delegates visited Poland was in 2014, and the fifth report on Poland was adopted in 2015.

In 2018, ECRI adopted conclusions on the implementation by Poland of two priority recommendations.  

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ECRI is an independent monitoring authority of the Council of Europe that focuses on combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, antisemitism, and intolerance. ECRI is competent to review the member states' legislation, policies, and measures aimed at fighting racism and intolerance, and to examine their effectiveness. Moreover, ECRI comes up with initiatives and measures on the European, national, and local levels and elaborates General Policy Recommendations. The Commission monitors the situation of persons and groups susceptible to violence and intolerance. It follows the member states' social policies, including employment and housing policies towards those discriminated against. Also, it keeps track of discussions held in the media and in other public fora. ECRI members are independent representatives appointed by each of the Council of Europe's 46 member states. The member appointed by Poland is Professor Elżbieta Karska.

More on ECRI

 

Łukasz Jasina
MFA Press Spokesperson