The deputy minister’s Geneva agenda also included meetings with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva Ramesh Rajasingham, and Director of Operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross Martin Schüepp.

During the Universal Periodic Review session, Deputy Minister Paweł Jabłoński paid special attention to the assistance Poland has been providing to Ukrainian refugees who had to leave their country as a result of the Russian aggression. He also pointed to a number of measures taken by the Polish government as part of its social policy, especially those that aim at protecting the rights of particularly vulnerable groups – women, children, and persons with disabilities.

“The Polish government will spare no effort in implementing measures with respect to children’s rights and the rights of persons with disabilities,” said Deputy Minister Paweł Jabłoński.

At the 41st session of the Universal Periodic Review, the Polish interministerial delegation presented the government’s national report. It included the implementation update on the recommendations made to Poland during the third review cycle in 2017 as well as the legal and institutional changes that have been introduced and Poland’s most important achievements as regards the protection and promotion of human rights in 2017-2022.

At the same time, the visit to Geneva was an opportunity for Deputy Minister Paweł Jabłoński to hold meetings related to the humanitarian agenda. Talking to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the deputy head of the MFA pointed to the unprecedented scale and form of support provided by Poland to Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The High Commissioner praised Poland’s comprehensive measures in this regard and thanked it for supporting the UNHCR in helping countries affected by a mass influx of refugees in other parts of the world. The meetings with the management of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) focused on the current humanitarian situation in Ukraine, including the challenges posed by approaching winter and limited access of humanitarian staff to the civilian population.

The officials stressed Poland’s unique role as a host country to Ukrainian refugees, a major donor of humanitarian aid for Ukraine, and a coordinator of international humanitarian aid sent to Ukraine via the territory of the Republic of Poland.

 

 

Łukasz Jasina

MFA Spokesperson