Torture prevention and work of Poland’s national preventive mechanism focus of roundtable event organized by Polish Commissioner for Human Rights and OSCE/ODIHR
Preventing torture and the role of Poland’s national preventive mechanism was the focus of a roundtable event organized in Warsaw by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Poland on 22 May 2018.
Representatives from various ministries and state institutions, as well as experts from international and regional human rights bodies, national and international civil society organizations and academia, discussed European jurisprudence related to cases of torture in Poland. They also elaborated on states’ responsibilities under international treaties to prevent torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and to ensure the right to rehabilitation for survivors.
“The Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of Poland has a clear mission: We aim for a state without torture, and we will not cease in our efforts until torture is eradicated in our country,” said Hanna Machinska, Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights in Poland. “The National Preventive Mechanism has achieved a lot in the past ten years, but there is still a lot to do and we will continue our dialogue with the authorities and civil society on the local and on the international level.”
Participants identified ongoing challenges in the fight against torture in Poland, including the lack of a clear definition of acts of torture in legislation and the limited resources of the national preventive mechanism.
“Empowering national preventative mechanisms in the OSCE region to strategically and effectively implement their mandate is one of our Office’s key priorities,” said Katarzyna Gardapkhadze, ODIHR First Deputy Director. “Independent monitoring of all places of detention, including by civil society monitors, has proven to be one of the most effective tools to prevent torture and other ill-treatment. Moreover, all states have an obligation to define and criminalize acts of torture within their legal systems, in line with international human rights obligations and OSCE commitments.”