International Treaties

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Ratified on 18 March 1977 with declarations on Article 41. Entered into force on 18 June 1977. The Optional Protocol was ratified on 7 November 1991 with reservations and entered into force on 7 February 1992. The Second Optional Protocol was signed on 21 March 2000.

International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights: Ratified on 18 March 1977 with no reservations. Entered into force on 18 June 1977.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ratified on 30 July 1980 with no reservations. Entered into force on 3 September 1981. The Optional Protocol to CEDAW was ratified on 22 December 2003 and entered into force on 22 March 2004.

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination: Ratified on 5 December 1968 with reservations and a declaration on Article 14. Entered into force on 4 January 1969. The amendment to Article 8 was accepted on 23 August 2002.

Convention on the Rights of the Child: Ratified on 7 June 1991 with reservations and declarations. Entered into force on 7 July 1991. Both the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (with declarations) and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography were signed and entered into force in 2005.

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment: Ratified on 26 July 1989 with reservations and declarations on Articles 21 and 22 and entered into force on 25 August 1989. The Optional Protocol was ratified on 14 September 2005 and entered into force on 22 June 2006.

Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages was signed on 17 December 1962 and ratified 8 Jan 1965. 

International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families: No action has been taken. 

Convention relating to the Status of Refugees: Acceded to on 27 September 1991 with reservations. Entered into force on 26 December 1991. The Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees was ratified on the same date.

Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery: Ratified on 10 January 1963 and entered into force on the same date.

Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children: Ratified on 26 September 2003.

Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Ratified on 12 November 2001.

ILO C29 Forced Labour Convention: Ratified on 30 July 1958.

ILO C111 Discrimination (Employment & Occupation) Convention: Ratified on 30 May 1961. 

ILO C143 Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention: No action has been taken. 

ILO C182 Worst Forms of Child Labour: Ratified on 9 August 2002.

Regional Treaties

Statute of the Council of Europe: Poland became a member of the Council of Europe on 26 November 1991.

European Social Charter (revised): was signed on 25 October 2005.

[European] Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: Ratified on 19 January 1993 and entered into force on 19 January 1993. Protocols 1, 4, 9 and 10 were ratified on 10 October 1994, Protocols 2, 3, 5 and 8 were ratified on 19 January 1993, Protocol 6 was ratified on 30 October 2000, Protocol 7 was ratified on 4 December 2002 and Protocol 11 was ratified on 20 May 1997. Protocol 13 was signed only on 3 May 2002. No action has been taken on Protocol 12 or 14.

European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment: Ratified on 10 October 1994 with no reservations and entered into force on 1 February 1995. Protocol No.1 and Protocol No.2 were ratified on 24 March 1995 and entered into force on 1 March 2002.

[European] Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities: Ratified on 20 December 2000 with declarations. Entered into force on 1 April 2001.