A call to Polish Authorities after the memorandum by the Council of Europe
25/06/2007
By
Tomasz Szypula
Warsaw, June 23, 2007
Mr. Jarosław Kaczyński
Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland
Mr. Ludwik Dorn
Speaker of the Polish Parliament
Mr. Bogdan Borusewicz
Speaker of the Polish Senate
With reference to the memorandum on the observance in Poland of the European
Convention on Human Rights, just published by the Council of Europe
Commissioner for Human Rights, we, the undersigned representatives of the
Polish LGBT organizations (working for the equal rights of Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender persons in Poland) call on the authorities of the
Republic of Poland to implement without delay all the recommendations of the
memorandum.
We call on the Polish authorities to undertake without any delay
legislative action that would lead to the equal treatment of LGBT persons in
their access to all the benefits and services offered to the citizens of
their country, and that would ensure equal rights in every field – not only
in that of employment.
We call on the Polish authorities to set up without delay a specialized and
independent institution that would supervise the proper implementation of
the principle of non-discrimination. Unfortunately the present body,
functioning as a section of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in the
form of the Department of Women, Family and Counteracting Discrimination,
does not meet the basic requirements of the EU legal system – it does not
ensure adequate research and surveying independent of Government control,
does not provide independent reports and does not offer effective legal
counseling to victims of discrimination.
We call upon the Polish authorities to undertake legislative action that
would ensure effective countermeasures to hate speech and hate crimes
because of sexual orientation. We cannot tolerate a situation where a two
million community of gays and lesbians, constituting a part of the Polish
society, is the object of continuous abuse, hate and aggression.
We urge the Polish authorities to participate fully and actively in the
activities of the EU European Year of Equal Opportunities for All and in
the Council of Europe campaign All Different – All Equal.
We call upon the Minister of National Education to change the policy that
is so unjust and prejudiced to Polish gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
persons, and in particular the content of textbooks on sex education that
manifests such prejudice to LGBT persons.
We expect that the legal deficiencies and unjust and wrong policy towards
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons indicated by the Council of
Europe, of which Poland is a member, will be treated by the Polish
authorities with determination commensurate with the importance of the
issues. Polish gay and lesbian organizations, whose field of activity
corresponds with the areas under critical scrutiny of the Council of Europe,
declare their willingness of full cooperation in developing the best
solutions and remedies that would help to solve the problems of
discrimination and intolerance.
Campaign Against Homophobia Association (KPH)
Lambda Warszawa Association
Culture for Tolerance Foundation in Krakow
Lambda Krakow Association
The Gay and Lesbian Economic Society in Poland (TEGL)
Lesbian Coalition (LBT)
Equality Foundation
Committee of the Equality and Tolerance Days in Poznan
Cc:
Ms.Anna Fotyga, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland
Ms.Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Labour
and Social Policy
Mr. Janusz Kochanowski, Comissioner for Civil Rights Protection, Republic of
Poland (Ombudsman)
Mr. Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
Mr. Jarosław Kaczyński
Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland
Mr. Ludwik Dorn
Speaker of the Polish Parliament
Mr. Bogdan Borusewicz
Speaker of the Polish Senate
With reference to the memorandum on the observance in Poland of the European
Convention on Human Rights, just published by the Council of Europe
Commissioner for Human Rights, we, the undersigned representatives of the
Polish LGBT organizations (working for the equal rights of Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender persons in Poland) call on the authorities of the
Republic of Poland to implement without delay all the recommendations of the
memorandum.
We call on the Polish authorities to undertake without any delay
legislative action that would lead to the equal treatment of LGBT persons in
their access to all the benefits and services offered to the citizens of
their country, and that would ensure equal rights in every field – not only
in that of employment.
We call on the Polish authorities to set up without delay a specialized and
independent institution that would supervise the proper implementation of
the principle of non-discrimination. Unfortunately the present body,
functioning as a section of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in the
form of the Department of Women, Family and Counteracting Discrimination,
does not meet the basic requirements of the EU legal system – it does not
ensure adequate research and surveying independent of Government control,
does not provide independent reports and does not offer effective legal
counseling to victims of discrimination.
We call upon the Polish authorities to undertake legislative action that
would ensure effective countermeasures to hate speech and hate crimes
because of sexual orientation. We cannot tolerate a situation where a two
million community of gays and lesbians, constituting a part of the Polish
society, is the object of continuous abuse, hate and aggression.
We urge the Polish authorities to participate fully and actively in the
activities of the EU European Year of Equal Opportunities for All and in
the Council of Europe campaign All Different – All Equal.
We call upon the Minister of National Education to change the policy that
is so unjust and prejudiced to Polish gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
persons, and in particular the content of textbooks on sex education that
manifests such prejudice to LGBT persons.
We expect that the legal deficiencies and unjust and wrong policy towards
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons indicated by the Council of
Europe, of which Poland is a member, will be treated by the Polish
authorities with determination commensurate with the importance of the
issues. Polish gay and lesbian organizations, whose field of activity
corresponds with the areas under critical scrutiny of the Council of Europe,
declare their willingness of full cooperation in developing the best
solutions and remedies that would help to solve the problems of
discrimination and intolerance.
Campaign Against Homophobia Association (KPH)
Lambda Warszawa Association
Culture for Tolerance Foundation in Krakow
Lambda Krakow Association
The Gay and Lesbian Economic Society in Poland (TEGL)
Lesbian Coalition (LBT)
Equality Foundation
Committee of the Equality and Tolerance Days in Poznan
Cc:
Ms.Anna Fotyga, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland
Ms.Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Labour
and Social Policy
Mr. Janusz Kochanowski, Comissioner for Civil Rights Protection, Republic of
Poland (Ombudsman)
Mr. Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
