Poland has a long history of protecting human rights through international agreements and adopted a new constitution in 1997 after democratizing in 1989. The constitution guarantees citizens respect for human and civil rights and freedoms, as well as rights for ethnic minorities. Poland has also ratified European conventions protecting against torture and upholding social charters. While most human rights are respected according to a student analysis, some still need improvement.

2. As a founding member of the United Nations Organization, Poland
ratified most of the international agreements concerning the
protection of human rights before 1989.
Human Rights
in Poland
PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN POLAND
The democratization of political and public life
which followed the collapse of the old system in
1989 allowed Poland to adopt a completely new
set of international regulations for the protection
of human rights.

3. The Constitution of the Republic
of Poland: a basis for human and
civil rights and freedoms
A now democratic Poland
guarantees its citizens respect for
human and civil rights. They are
guaranteed by law, primarily in the
1997 Constitution, which says that
the inborn and irrevocable dignity of
man constitutes the source of his
freedom and of his rights as an
individual and a citizen (Article30).
The Constitution of the Republic of
Poland guarantees its citizens
belonging to ethnic minorities
freedom to maintain and develop
their own language, preserve their
customs and traditions and
develop their own culture
(Article 35).

4. Poland accepted the full system of
conventions and judgements of the
European Commission of Human
Rights and Court of Human Rights,
with the high standards they had
developed over the years. Poland also
joined the European Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment as well as the European
Social Charter.

5. There are a lot of governmental and
non-govermental bodies supervising
the observation of human rights in
Poland, for example:
• the Office of the Spokesman for Civil Rights
• the Constitutional
Tribunal
• a Polish branch of Amnesty International
• the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Poland
• the office of Curator of Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights including the
Rights of Ethnic Minorities

6. There are laws but are they respected in Poland?
We tried to verify it and here is our photo coverage…

7. Comenius team from our school decided to
prepare a collage picture. We discussed the
all thirty articles of the Human Rights
Declaration and marked with a tick the ones
which are respected and crossed the ones
which are violated in Poland according to
our best
knowledge.

9. TICK OR CROSS?
That is the question…

20. To sum up, we have found that most of the
human rights are respected in Poland.
Unfortunately, some of them are not
respected but we do our best to improve the
situation as we have joined UNICEF School
Club in Poland.

21. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission
cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information
contained therein.