Poland in the UN

The session was opened by the remarks of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi on the challenges which UNHCR faces today: the unprecedented number of 100 million people who were forced into displacement due to conflict, climate change, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and the rising cost of living. Mr. Grandi stressed that we must not forget the ongoing conflicts, such as Afghanistan, Sahel, Ethiopia, Syria and Uganda, when we respond to the emerging ones

The subject of war in Ukraine, which has caused the largest and fastest displacement crisis in Europe since the II World War, has been widely addressed by the Commissioner himself, as well as the national delegations during the general debate.

In the Polish national statement, Ambassador Zbigniew Czech emphasized Poland's threefold response to the crisis triggered by the Russian invasion on Ukraine:  delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukrainian Citizens, assistance in transfers of international humanitarian aid and hosting the largest community of Ukrainian refugees. “We invest significantly into inclusion and education of Ukrainian children and teenagers and we take any possible effort to ensure there is no lost generation in Ukrainian society” – stressed Ambassador Czech.

The Polish Government is focusing not only on its role as a host country for refugees from Ukraine, but also making contributions for UNHCR activities in Moldova, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. As Ambassador Czech pointed out, Poland - conscious of the growing funding gap - this year has made a contribution of €1 million to the World Food Programme to support food security in Africa. We must act now “to avoid much greater expense in the future” – said High Comissioner Grandi. The steps undertaken by the Polish authorities, outlined by Ambassador Czech during his speech, are an example of implementing those words in the national specific context.