Poland in the Council of Europe

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski held a speech today to inaugurate the 16th Warsaw Human Rights Seminar. The Seminar's special guest was Michael O'Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe. Due to increased importance of migration, this year's edition focused on the legal and geopolitical contexts of migration.

On 30 September, the Council of Europe held a debate entitled "The Baltic Sea - Europe's stronghold". Democratic security and environmental consequences of shadow fleet activity in international waters. In the context of the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law”. The event was co-organised by the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and the Sejm of the Republic of Poland.

Today, Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski presented the Lech Wałęsa Solidarity Prize in Miami. This year's prize went to Berta Soler Fernandez, a Cuban dissident and the leader of the Ladies in White opposition group.

On the anniversary of the presidential election held on 9 August 2020, Poland, guided by the principles of freedom and solidarity, reaffirms its support for all Belarusian citizens striving to restore the rule of law, democracy, and the respect for human rights in their homeland.

On June 25, during the official visit of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, an agreement was signed between the Council of Europe and Ukraine regarding the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the Statute of the Special Tribunal in the Meeting Room of the Committee of Ministers at the Palace of Europe. The Secretary General, Alain Berset, signed the agreement on behalf of the Council of Europe.

In connection with the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the Council of Europe took patronage over the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity project, i.e. the exhibition "Between Life and Death. Stories of Rescue during the Holocaust" - presented on 28 January during the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly at the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg.

January 1, 2025 Poland took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time. The presidency's slogan: "Security, Europe!" aims to reflect the complex international situation: the ongoing war in Ukraine, the increase in geopolitical tensions, as well as the mounting international threats, including disinformation.

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized the 15th edition of Warsaw Human Rights Seminar. The seminar was an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in shaping democratic institutions. The programme of the event referred to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Council of Europe and the 65th anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights, whose achievements play a pivotal role in the protection of human rights, the rule of law and democracy on the continent.

On November 18-19, the 12th edition of the Warsaw Dialogue for Democracy took place at the Warsaw Univeristy. The topic of the edition was the impact of new technologies on democracy and human rights.