[Human Rights] UPR/13th Session, Statement on Poland

Statement by Austria

Geneva, 30 May 2012

We welcome H.E. … and the delegation of Poland and thank them for their constructive participation and the national report.

Austria commends the numerous efforts undertaken so far with regard to the fight against domestic violence, including by adopting a law that foresees a new preventive measure ordering an accused to leave the premises occupied jointly with the victim. We would be interested to receive more detailed information on the application of this law.

We commend Poland for its efforts and measures undertaken to increase human rights education training for police officers and to continue the system of human rights advisors to the police. However, we are concerned about reports of excessive use of force by law enforcement officials. We also commend efforts to reduce overcrowding of prisons and pretrial detention but are concerned that these still continue to be problems. Could you elaborate on additional measures planned in order to effectively address?

Finally, there are also reports about cases of discrimination and intolerance, including racist acts, anti-Semitism, attacks directed at individuals because of their sexual orientation and persons with disabilities in Poland.

Austria offers the following recommendations:

Sign the CoE Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence;

Take additional legal and other measures to reduce pretrial detention and overcrowding in detention facilities through increased resort to alternative forms of punishment;

Further strengthen its policies and programmes aimed at combating discrimination and intolerance and ensure that incidents are subject to prompt and independent investigation and effective prosecution;

Strengthen anti-discrimination laws with regard to a better protection of LGBT persons and persons with disabilities;

Sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the CRPD.    

I thank you.