Commissioner for Human Rights

Newsletter Commissioner for Human Rights in Poland 6 - 13 December 2016

Newsletter 7 – 13 December 2016

MAIN MATTERS

The CHR’s statement at the Senate meeting on the Law on Assemblies

In his special statement before the Senate, the CHR warned that the Bill on Assemblies currently drafted by the Parliament does not meet the standards of a democratic state and the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Commissioner pointed out, inter alia, at the doubts relating to the holding of the so-called recurring assemblies [more].

On ethics in business: the conference ,,Business and human rights – the implementation of the United Nations Guidelines’’

- In Poland, it is no longer enough to promote good business practices. It also necessary to actively monitor whether corporations are not involved in the violation of human rights, said Adam Bodnar in his opening speech at the conference entitled Business and human rights, held at the CHR Office. During the meeting, the so-called Ethical Programme Minimum Standard was also presented [more].

Following the CHR’s application, the Constitutional Tribunal has ruled that the exclusion of the National Broadcasting Council from the procedure of appointing managers of the public media is not consistent with the Constitution [more].

Professor Wiktor Osiatyński received the Paweł Włodkowic prize awarded by the CHR

Today, fewer people justify their claims for a better life on the grounds of human rights. More people justify such claims in the categories which are based on emotions, anger, the feeling of insult or resentment. And those claims which indeed are based on human rights are now difficult to hear. Maybe, this is due to the fact that in most parts of the world, the main trend has changed, said the winner of the prize.  That is why we need to invent new things, to look for new movements, maybe for some social movements. [Anyway], in the past, before human rights got regulated by legislation, it was simply a people’s movement. I think that today we live in the times when such new movements are needed, and there should be people ready to co-develop them [more].

THE COMMISSIONER ON CITIZENS’ ISSUES

The Commissioner’s letter to the Minister of National Education and the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, regarding music schools’ students to be impacted by the education system reform [more].

The CHR experts advise the Minister for Family, Labour and Social Policy on methods of effective examination of the phenomenon of homelessness [more].

The Commissioner’s inquiry to the Minister of Health with regard to the progress of operation of the oncology package [more].

EQUAL TREATMENT

Is the Government going to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention?

The Commissioner was concerned with the media reports on the ongoing works on Poland’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, adopted in Istanbul on 11 May 2011. Therefore, the CHR asked the Government Plenipotentiary for Civil Society and Equal Treatment to provide information on the issue [more].

The CHR on the financing of organizations which provide assistance to women - victims of violence

The Commissioner has written a letter to the Minister of Justice with regard to the results of the call for proposals for the implementation of tasks financed under the Fund for Assistance to Victims and Post-penitentiary Assistance [more].

The Minister of Education has replied to the CHR’s application regarding the strengthening of the Polish-British cooperation in the field of education. This is one of the results of CHR Adam Bodnar’s visit to London [more].

The Government is drafting amendments to the Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence. The Commissioner for Human Rights indicates which provisions should be amended and in what way [more].

LEGISLATION

The CHR warns against limiting the protection of tenants against eviction: the situation is going to end in the same way as 15 years ago, with large-scale evictions to the street [more].

The President has signed the amendment to the Act on Pensions, according to which debt collection officers will have to leave at least 75 percent of the lowest retirement pension amount in the bank accounts of the seniors person concerned, as postulated by the CHR [more].

THE CHRONICLE

A delegation from Kyrgyzstan has visited the CHR Office [more].

The Janina Paradowska and Jerzy Zimowski award for Marina Hulia [more].

„A coordinated healthcare system for women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. Chances and dangers” was the title of the debate held on 7 December at the CHR Office [more].

Deputy CHR Krzysztof Olkowicz met with a group of former prisoners of the Mauthausen-Gusen camp and with their families [more].

Adam Bodnar took part in the conference "Hate No More – judicial and law enforcement authorities in the service of victims of hate crimes” [more].

The CHR delivered a lecture entitled "Civil rights protection in the situation of the constitutional crisis "at the Polish-German Forum of Law and Economics [more].

During the conference "Crimes of the martial law era – the legal aspects", Stanislaw Trociuk discussed the CHR’s actions on issues relating to the martial law [more].

The CHR met with representatives of the Autism Poland association, a group of civil organizations from across Poland, which brings together non-governmental organizations providing support to persons with autism [more].

The CHR attended the seminar entitled "The alimony system: how to repair it?” [more].

„The role of a lawyer and a journalist in creating the realities of a democratic state" was the title of the conference attended by deputy CHR Sylwia Spurek [more].

Adam Bodnar has appointed new Ambassadors of the Commissioner of Human Rights [more].

Stanislaw Trociuk attended the conference dedicated to the memory of Monika Zbrojewska [more]