Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej RPO

9th -11th of April 2014 prof. Irena Lipowicz, the Human Rights Defender of Poland was hosting  a visit of Ms. Emily O’Reilly, the European Ombudsman.

During the three-day stay the Polish and European Ombudsmen met with representatives of the legislative authorities of Poland, including the Speaker of the Senate, Mr. Bogdan Borusewicz and the Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, Mr. Eugeniusz Grzeszczak. They also participated in the General Assembly of the Judges of the Constitutional Tribunal which was additionally attended by judges of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

On her second day of the visit Emily O’Reilly met with journalists and activities performed by her Strasbourg-office. She also visited the Polish Congress of Women. Above that both Ombudsmen had a meeting with the Mr Adam Jasser, the President of the Competition and Consumer Protection Office and Ms. Henryka Mościcka-Dendys, undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of European and human rights affairs.

During the last working day discussions concerning the preparation of the National Seminar of the European Network of Ombudsmen were held. The 2015 Seminar will take place in Warsaw. The Seminars aim at exchanging good practices, intensifying cooperation between Ombudsmen from EU countries and enable better functioning of the EU Law in individual Member States. The upcoming meeting will be focusing on issues relating to the protection of rights of minorities, persons with disabilities, the elderly.

Finally, the European and Polish Ombudsmen met with the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Oświęcim, Dr. Piotr M.A. Cywiński with whom they discussed the role of remembrance in the protection of human rights.