U.S. Mission to International
Organizations in Geneva

U.S. Statement at the Universal Periodic Review of Poland,

41st Session

As delivered by Ms. Kelly Billingsley

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

The United States welcomes the distinguished delegation from Poland.

We appreciate Poland’s successful tenure as 2022 OSCE Chair-in-Office and commend Poland’s commitment to promoting democracy globally and defending other democracies’ sovereignty.

We recommend that Poland:

1. Strengthen principles of judicial independence, provide a mechanism for decisions against judges made by the former Disciplinary Chamber to be reviewed, ensure the disciplinary regime for judges and prosecutors protects judicial independence, and strengthen efforts to protect judges from political pressure.
2. Increase support for media independence and reduce restrictions on freedom of expression, including by repealing criminal defamation laws.
3. Denounce and condemn at the highest political levels all forms of hate speech and intolerant rhetoric, including antisemitism, and statements or resolutions that encourage hostility and violence, and ensure respect for the human rights of all persons, including LGBTQI+ persons, members of ethnic minority groups, and members of marginalized communities.
   We welcome recent progress in these areas and encourage the government to take further steps.

We wish Poland a successful UPR. I thank you.

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