UPR Info

Poland will continue to participate in the World Programme for Human Rights Education, within the first stage of which education on human rights has been introduced into the core curricula of general education at primary and middle schools. Moreover, the Ministry of National Education has launched a number of other measures to promote education on human rights and the rights of child. Training to prepare activities for the advancement of human rights and combating discrimination in local communities has been carried out under numerous projects

Poland will ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the abolition of death penalty

To maintain the momentum on addressing killings of activists and media professionals

Additional measures to level educational opportunities will be introduced. Poland will spare no effort to enable preschool-age children to enjoy their rights, among others through the creation of amenable conditions for developing various forms of preschool education, particularly in rural areas. The planned strategy for the development of education in rural areas for 2007-2013 will be attuned to the Government Programme for the development of education in rural areas in the years 2008-2013. The strategic aim of the programme is to upgrade the quality and level of education in rural areas. Implementation of the measures facilitating access for children from rural areas and small towns to quality education will continue until 2013

The delegation stated that Finland was committed to reaching the goal of 0.7 per cent ODA by 2015, as set by the United Nations, and 0.51 per cent ODA by 2010, as set by the European Union.

The State under review will involve civil society and national human rights institutions in consultation and socialization of the Universal Periodic Review procedure until its next Universal Periodic Review.

Poland is also committed to continuing actions to reduce poverty and social exclusion, which will remain a priority in our national social policy. Poland indicated that a new national programme on social security and social integration for 2008-2010, now under preparation, will strengthen assistance to families for the purpose of counteracting poverty and social exclusion of children. These actions are meant to equalize the opportunities of families and children, i.e. to eliminate educational deficits and improve access to services that will enable parents to reconcile their professional activities with the upbringing of children. In addition, the national programme will determine specific goals, including, in particular, lowering the poverty index and the index of poverty risk among children to achieve that the following actions will be undertaken by Poland: 1/ Improvement of family incomes 2/ Development of the child day-care service system 3/ Levelling educational opportunities of and support for school-age children from poor Families 4/ Consolidating the system of assistance to families, family counselling, improvement of income support 5/ The development of cooperation with non-governmental organizations will also contribute to the effective combating of poverty and social exclusion

Poland pledges to further improve the situation of disabled persons. Due to its limited effectiveness, a review of the current system of vocational and social rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons, particularly with regard to vocational ctivation, will be carried out

Submit, in 2008, eight reports to United Nations bodies, of which seven to treaty bodies: (i) Fifth and sixth periodic reports on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), (ii) Third periodic report on the implementation of the International Convention, against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), (iii) Eighteenth and nineteenth periodic reports on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), (iv) Third periodic report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), (v) Initial report on the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, concerning the involvement of children in armed conflicts, (vi) Third periodic report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), (vii) Fifth periodic report on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

Tunisia decided to create an institution related to the General Human Rights Coordinator in charge of the follow-up to treaty bodies' recommendations in order to promote their effective implementation

Argentina commits itself to put into practice the mechanism contained in the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture and to continue the implementation of the National Plan to Combat Discrimination in all its aspects, and also to promote the second stage of the National Plan of Human Rights

Argentina has initiated the procedure towards the recognition of the competence of the Committee of the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to examine individual or inter-State communications.

Argentina reaffirms its commitment to continue strengthening the protection of human rights at a universal and regional level, and also to preserve and strengthen the role of NGOs in the promotion and defence of human rights.

Bahrain affirms its willingness to cooperate with the Committee against Torture on the implementation of article 20 of the Convention.

Bahrain affirms that it will include information in its future reports on the outcome of the universal periodic review and its impact on the human rights situation on the ground.

Bahrain is committed to contributing to the current process of human rights standard-setting at the United Nations and to participating in United Nations human rights forums where human rights standards are discussed (for example, the Forum on Minority Issues, which is due to meet in Geneva in September 2008).

Bahrain is committed to establishing a national human rights institution at the earliest opportunity, bearing in mind the relevant United Nations resolutions and, in particular, the Paris Principles. In fact, in November 2007, the Cabinet issued a decision on the establishment of a national human rights institution. Once the institution has been established, it is expected to design a national action plan for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Kingdom.

Bahrain studies and reviews the international human rights treaties to which it has yet to accede in order to assess the feasibility of acceding to them. It will seek international assistance and cooperation in order to strengthen individual and institutional capacities in this connection.

Bahrain is currently examining the idea of drafting a national action plan on human rights education as soon as possible, in conjunction with relevant entities and organizations in Bahrain, and with expert input from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Bahrain is currently examining the need for comprehensive national action plan on human rights

Bahrain will consider seriously the possibility of enacting a law on combating racial discrimination.

Bahrain will continue its efforts to achieve comprehensive development, with the emphasis on the centrality of human rights in development and the importance of supporting a culture of human rights by all available means, including through education, the media, etc.

Bahrain will explore the possibility of reviewing some of its existing reservations to the treaties to which it is a party. By way of example, Bahrain has already withdrawn its reservation to article 20 of the Convention against Torture.

Conduct a study on the feasibility of inviting officials of the special procedures system for consultations and discussions.

Continue to participate actively in follow-up to the proceedings of relevant conferences, including the forthcoming review of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.

Continue to participate actively in meetings of the Economic and Social Council and its various commissions and in the General Assembly and Security Council.

Creation of an effective mechanism to deal with cases of neglect by private sector institutions of workers' housing.

Examination of the idea of creating a national action plan to implement the outcome of the universal periodic review

It has asked the Human Rights Council for technical assistance to help it run human rights training courses and workshops for law enforcement personnel and members of the Prosecution Service and the judiciary.

It will liaise with the President of the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the possible organization of visits that might prove useful for the purposes of discussions and consultations.