“Poland appreciates the actions of the UN in the global fight against the terrorist threat”, said Marcin Przydacz, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, during a briefing to the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) on 18 March 2021, about the steps Poland has taken in implementing the CTC’s visit recommendations, as well as Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017) and other relevant Council resolutions.
From 9 – 13 December 2019, the Counter-Terrorism Committee/Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), conducted a comprehensive visit to the Republic of Poland. The visit was CTED’s first to the country, and the first opportunity to conduct an on-the-ground assessment of Poland’s implementation of the Security Council’s resolutions on counter-terrorism. The visit resulted in a set of recommendations made by the Committee to Poland, which Poland has agreed to share with other UN entities, consistent with resolution 2395 (2017).
As is the case is with CTC assessment visits to Member States, the onsite dialogue covered a wide range of issues, including Poland’s legislative implementation of terrorist offences, regulations and actions to counter terrorist financing, security and law enforcement practices, efforts to secure Poland’s borders, and efforts to counter incitement to terrorism, recruitment to terrorist groups, and the growth of violent extremism. During these visits, the Committee reiterates its position that Member States need to ensure that counter-terrorism measures protect human rights, and to ensure that the roles of women and gender perspectives are taken into account in developing counter-terrorism strategies and policies in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions.
ASG Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of CTED, appreciated Poland’s cooperation and efforts. “Poland has achieved an advanced level of implementation of several measures that were introduced by the Security Council’s counter-terrorism resolutions.”
“We welcome Under-Secretary Przydacz’s briefing. It demonstrates transparency and proactive engagement between the Committee and Poland, and enhances efforts in implementing the agreed outcomes of the assessment visit report in light of the Security Council resolutions,” stated H.E. Mr. Tarek Ladeb, Chair of the Committee.
The briefing to the Committee, included representatives from Poland’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Interior, and Finance, as well as the Polish Police, the Polish Border Guard, the Internal Security Agency, and the National Prosecutor’s Office. “We highly value the set of recommendations in the report” said Deputy Minister Przydacz, adding that “we are ready to continue dialogue with UN experts in the future”.