Poland in the UN

“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, I hereby notify belligerent and neutral governments and nations of the existence of an Independent Polish State, within all the territories of the united Poland” – with these words Józef Piłsudski addressed the heads of world powers and notified them about the formation of the Second Polish Republic.

On 11 November 1918, 102 years ago, Poland regained its independence. On this day, after his release from the Magdeburg Fortress, Józef Piłsudski took over military command from the Regency Council and, three days later, assumed supreme authority over civilian matters, to finally “as Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army [...] notify belligerent and neutral governments and nations” of the reappearance of “the reborn and independent Republic of Poland” on the map. After 123 years of captivity, Poland became a sovereign and internationally recognised state.

The MFA organised a series of expert panels and an information and promotional campaign under the slogan “UN Week” to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations.

Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, 75th session ID with the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Mr. Ahmed Shaheed

45th session of the Human Rights Council was held in Geneva from September 14 to October 7, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council was held in a "hybrid" formula that combined the physical presence of some delegates in meetings with online participation. It was the third session in which Poland participated as a member state as part of her term in the Human Rights Council in 2020-2022.

The annual meeting of the UNHCR Executive Committee (ExCom) was held in Geneva on 5-9 October 2020. The general debate of the states and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees statement focused primarily on the challenges related to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, both in relation to the situation of refugees and their hosting countries.

As part of the High-Level Week opening the 75th jubilee session of the United Nations General Assembly, Minister Zbigniew Rau took part in an online foreign ministers’ meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism.

Somali non-governmental organisation the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre (EPHRC) has been awarded the Pro Dignitate Humana 2020 prize. One of the organisation’s most important achievements is successfully counteracting radicalisation and brutal religious extremism.