Dr hab. Michał Kowalski, Prof. UJ from the JU Faculty of Law and Administration was chosen to become part of the expert team working within the framework of the Moscow Mechanism of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. This year, the Mechanism was employed twice in relation to human rights violations in Belarus and forced displacement of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation.
The Moscow Mechanism is a procedure established in the capital of Russia during the Conference of Security and Cooperation in Europe in 1991 in order to protect human rights. It is implemented when there is a need to investigate issues related to the human dimension of the OSCE in their own territory or in the territory of another OSCE state. In such cases, the state which puts forward the motion for investigation may, given the support of nine other member states, send an expert mission to the country which purportedly violates basic rights and freedoms.
The Mechanism is an example of moving away from consensus-based decision-making processes dominant in the OSCE. The Organisation has a list of experts than can be called upon to participate in a mission. Their task is to determine the facts of the matter and present the states with possible solutions.
Dr hab. Michał Kowalski, Prof. UJ is an employee of the JU Chair in International Public Law. He was an ad hoc judge in the European Court of Human Rights (2018–2022 term) and is a conciliator in the Court of Conciliation and Arbitration of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (2019–2025 term). In 2014–2021, he was a member of a legal advisory committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2009–2019, he served as a member of the adjudicating bench in the Refugee Board (third and fourth terms). He is a member of the scientific committee of the International Law Association in the area of Use of Force: Military Assistance on Request. He received scholarship from institutions such as the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft and Tokyo Foundation.
