State Secretary said that the principle of sustainable development lies at the heart of EU policies, objectives, mechanisms and programmes and that it should also be embedded in national policies, regional and local levels. The multiannual financial framework 2021-2027, the NextGenerationEU instrument, the national Recovery and Resilience Plans, the EU Green Deal and the national strategies are the legislative and financial means for addressing and implementing Sustainable Development Goals. Now, words need to be transformed into results. According to Kirbiš Rojs, EU Member States and partner countries should form an alliance that works by honouring solidarity, cooperation and common values, in particular the one thing they truly have in common - the planet.

In her address, Ms Kirbiš Rojs outlined Slovenia's action towards achieving the set Sustainable Development Goals. ''Slovenia is a small country, but very much committed to implementing Sustainable Development Goals. We have transposed sustainable policies in Slovenia's development strategy by 2030. I'm happy to see that Slovenia scores high on the 2021 SDG index. But a strategy simply isn't enough anymore. That is why we are committed to implementing strategic goals through the financially supported national and EU programmes,'' State Secretary said.

The pandemic slowed us down and showed our weaknesses; it also made us realize how much reforms and transformation were actually needed, not only in terms of going green but also in terms of building resilience to future changes, especially the digital transformation Digital transformation should be perceived as a horizontal issue that offers opportunities to make progress in the education system, skill development, innovation and business competitiveness. The principle of leaving no one behind should serve as the guidepost in this transformation.

State Secretary concluded her speech by saying that '’the pandemic has taught us important lessons. If we failed to recognize the fragility our planet before, we now recognize how fragile we are as humans. Only joint action and efforts will lead to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and a better quality of life for us all.''