Polish foreign policy values human rights, FM says at ODIHR meeting

Human rights have a special significance in Poland's foreign policy, Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said at the opening session of the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2019 in Warsaw on Monday. "The presence of ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) in Warsaw is a symbolic recognition of the role our country played in restoringfreedom and respect for human rights and democratic order in Europe," Czaputowicz said in a statement, referring to the 1989 overthrow of communism in Poland following years of anti-communist opposition activity. The ODIHR is an agency of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and is based in Warsaw. Poland's focus on human rights was expressed in the country's priorities for its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Czaputowicz also observed, quoting such areas as freedom of religion and belief, the rights of children and people with disabilities and support for democratic transformations around the world.