Priorities of the Republic of Slovenia for the 70Th Session of the United Nations General

Priorities of the Republic of Slovenia for the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly

In the year marking the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, we believe that the world needs a reformed and effective United Nations, equipped to respond to the complex challenges and needs of our interconnected planet.

Recognising the importance of the United Nations at the core of effective multilateralism, Slovenia's priorities at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly will focus on promoting 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 well as revitalisation of UN General Assembly as part of the overall UN reform. Slovenia will also be active in the process of selecting new UN Secretary-General.

Slovenia will continue to pursue its own priorities within the EU, as well as the EU’s priorities, and cooperate with like-minded countries from different regions. Slovenia will particularly focus on the following:

1. Post-2015 and global challenges As an incoming Chair of the Second Committee of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly, Slovenia will devote special attention to supporting UN membership to ensure effective follow-up to the September 2015 Summit and the July 2015 Conference on Financing for Development (FfD). Efforts will also be made to improve the effectiveness and working methods of the Second Committee.

Slovenia remains committed to achieving a universal and transformative post-2015 development agenda, which is underpinned by the new Global Partnership for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development after 2015, as well as by a robust review, monitoring and accountability mechanism to effectively and efficiently track the progress of implementation.

1 Slovenia will continue contributing to international efforts to eradicate poverty in all its forms and achieve sustainable development in its three dimensions in a balanced and integrated manner. It will support the rights-based approach, encompassing all human rights, and promote peaceful and inclusive societies, democratic governance and the rule of law as important goals in themselves for achieving sustainable and inclusive development.

Slovenia will support efforts to ensure environmental sustainability and continue to support endeavours to effectively address climate change and other global challenges, including the sustainable use and management of natural resources and ecosystems. In this regard, it will promote cooperation on the sustainable management of biodiversity and water, building on its multidimensional implications, not just environmental but also social, economic, security and political.

Contributing to sustainable development, Slovenia will also focus on promoting the protection of bees with a view to designating 20 May World Honeybee Day by the United Nations.

Regarding the World Humanitarian Summit, which will take place in Istanbul on 26 - 27 May 2016, Slovenia will further promote respect for humanitarian principles, international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Special emphasis will be devoted to the effectiveness of humanitarian action and resilience, as well as linking relief, rehabilitation and development.

2. Human rights Slovenia will call for respect for, and the protection and promotion of, all human rights for all, regardless of race, skin colour, sex, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, age, sexual orientation, property, birth, or other status. Human rights are universal, inalienable, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, and no human being should be discriminated against. Slovenia's traditional human rights priorities include the rights of women and the most vulnerable groups, such as children, older persons, ethnic and other minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTIs, etc.

Slovenia will promote the empowerment of women, including intensified implementation of standards for the full enjoyment of all human rights by women, especially in the light of the 20th anniversary of the World Conference on Women in Beijing in 2015 and the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. With the approaching 15th anniversary of the adoption of the UN

2 Security Council resolution 1325 in autumn 2015, Slovenia will focus on the High-Level Review of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

Slovenia will continue to pay particular attention to promoting children's rights, human rights education and learning, as well as to the elimination of all forms of violence and abuse against children.

It will also continue to engage in the promotion and protection of the human rights of older persons. Slovenia will strive to enhance the international legal framework for the protection of rights of the elderly to adequately address discrimination, participation and violence against them.

3. Rule of law and transitional justice Slovenia will promote respect for the rule of law at both the national and international levels, including international criminal justice and transitional justice.

It will resolutely support efforts to end impunity for 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. Slovenia will continue to advocate a strengthened and expanded relationship between the ICC and the UN, in particular the UN Security Council. The support for the Court provided by the UN has the potential to make an important contribution to the ICC's delivering on its role.

Slovenia will further its efforts to strengthen the principle of complementarity via different initiatives, including the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) initiative.

It will also continue to advocate for the ratification and implementation of the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute, and to promote the activation of the ICC’s jurisdiction over the crime of aggression.

4. Peace and security Slovenia will continue to support efforts to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, notably nuclear weapons. It will also continue to support the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty and join states that seek to reform the multilateral disarmament machinery, also with regard to nuclear disarmament.

Regarding conventional weapons, Slovenia will actively support the promotion of the Arms Trade Treaty and the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines

3 (Ottawa Convention). It will seek wide support for the resolution on the Ottawa Convention with a view to increasing the number of states that vote in favour of the resolution.

Slovenia will continue to actively support the Security Sector Reform as an integral part of the comprehensive and sustainable support for peace and security in the whole crisis cycle that positively impacts the strengthening of the rule of law, human rights, democracy, stability, and conflict prevention.

5. Countering terrorism Slovenia will support efforts for a global response to terrorism, violent extremism and radicalisation, while at the same time fully respecting international law, human rights and fundamental values. We believe that priority should be given to prevention over reaction. When addressing the underlying causes of such threats, Slovenia will emphasise the special vulnerability of the young generation and the need to provide them with adequate educational opportunities as well as social and economic prospects.

6. Preventive diplomacy Slovenia will support efforts to strengthen conflict prevention and peaceful dispute resolution, including by enhancing the UN’s mediation efforts and further promoting the use of mediation and capacity building at the national, regional and international levels. It will continue to promote mediation as part of a larger toolbox for preventing and resolving conflicts and achieving sustainable peace.

Slovenia will promote the need for intercultural dialogue, which helps combat polarisation and stereotypes and highlights the values and principles that bring people together.

Slovenia will advocate the "Responsibility to Protect" (R2P) concept to prevent the most serious human rights violations such as genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity; and will actively participate in all debates on how to operationalise the R2P concept in the next decade.