Priorities of the Republic of Slovenia for the 69th session of the UN General Assembly
The priorities of the Republic of Slovenia forthe 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly are based on Slovenia's foreign policy goals and principles and are consistent with its activities in the international community in the recent years.
Slovenia advocates effective multilateralism, with the UN at its core, based on the premise that peace and security, the rule of law, development, and human rights are inextricably linked and mutually reinforcing. It will also continue to support the search for common solutions to today's global challenges.
In addressing those issues, Slovenia will promote human security and a people-centred approach, as well as respect for international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.Slovenia calls for a more effective UN, inclusiveness, legitimacy, and transparency in the international decision-making and the reform of the UN Security Council as part of the overall UN reform.
Slovenia will pursue its priorities within the EU and EUpriorities, and willcooperate with like-minded countries from different regions. Slovenia will particularly focus on the following priority areas:
1. Post-2015 and Global Challenges
Slovenia will strive for an overarching agenda aimed at both eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development around the globe, whichwould include a human rights-based approach.
Poverty needs to be addressed in all its complexity and in accordance with country'sspecific circumstances. The agenda should take into account all three pillars of sustainable development, and build on the new reality ofclose interconnectedness of countries and social, economic as well as environmental challenges.
Human rights are the foundation for all stages of devising the post-2015 agenda, including the designing of a monitoring system and the strategies and action plans necessaryfor the operationalization of the sustainable development goals.
Slovenia will continue to support the search for effective solutionsto today'sglobal challenges. In particular, it will support the sustainable use and management of natural resources and ecosystems, with emphasis on water cooperation.
Slovenia will attend the 2014 UN Climate Summit, where it will support cooperation and the continuation of efforts to reach a new agreement on the fight against climate change in 2015.
2. Human rights
Slovenia will call forthe respect, protection and promotion of all human rights for all, regardless of their race, colour, sex, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, age, sexual orientation, property, birth, or other status.
With the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child coming in 2014,itwill pay particular attention to the promotion of children's rights, human rights education and learning,as well asto the elimination of all forms of violence and abuse against children.
Slovenia will promote the empowerment of women, including the enhancement of the implementation of standards for the full enjoyment of all human rights by women, especially in the lightof the 20th anniversary of the World Conference on Women in Beijing in 2015.With the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution 1325 coming in 2015, Slovenia will focus on women, peace and security.
It will also continue to engage in the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons. Furthermore, Sloveniawill, together with Belgium, put forward a resolution on the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, also tomark the 50th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination in 2015.
3. Rule of law and transitional justice
Slovenia will promote the respect forthe rule of law at both the national and international levels,including international criminal justice and transitional justice.
Itwill resolutely support efforts to end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes, the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and other international tribunals, and promote the universality of the ICC.
Itwill also continue to advocate for the ratification and implementation of the Kampala amendments to the Rome Statute of the ICC,and to promote the activation of the ICCʼs jurisdiction over the crime of aggression.
4. Responsibility to Protect
Slovenia will advocate the "Responsibility to Protect" (R2P) concept to prevent the most serious human rights violations: genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.
Slovenia will be an active participantin debates on how to operationalise the R2P concept to prevent mass atrocities in the future,and willhost a meeting on the R2P in 2015 to contribute to this goal, also in the light of the 10th anniversary of the World Summit Outcome Document and the 20th anniversary of genocide in Srebrenica coming in 2015.
5. Peace and security and conflict prevention
Slovenia will support efforts to strengthen conflict prevention and peaceful dispute resolution, including by enhancing the UN’s mediation efforts and the further promotion of the use of mediation and capacity building at the national, regional and international levels.Itwill continue to promote mediation as part of alarger toolbox for preventing and resolving conflicts and achieving sustainable peace.
Slovenia will continue to support efforts to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, notably nuclear weapons. Itwill continue to support Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, andwill join the states whichseek the reform of the multilateral disarmament machinery, also in the field of nuclear disarmament.
In the field of conventional weapons, Slovenia will actively support the promotion and an early entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty and the promotion of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Anti-Personnel Mines (Ottawa Convention). Itwill seek wide support for the resolution on the Ottawa Convention with an aim to increase the number of states that will vote in favour of the resolution.
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