At the Slovenian Permanent Mission in New York, Minister Fajon hosted a working meeting of the Green Group, where she emphasised the need to change our attitude towards environmental crises and to close ranks even more. “Now, more than ever, we need to forge alliances, just as we have joined forces in the Green Group. Through leading by example, we can foster awareness-raising and the exchange of good practices. That is why I believe that the efforts to revitalise our partnership are timely and necessary", the Minister pointed out. The meeting discussed the upcoming conferences organised by the members of the Green Group and opportunities for joint actions. "For many countries, responding effectively to the environmental crisis is a matter of survival", she underscored during the debate. 

The Green Group is an informal group, founded in 2009 on Slovenia’s initiative, bringing together six small countries at foreign minister level: Slovenia, Iceland, Costa Rica, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Cape Verde. The Group was set up to bring environmental issues (climate change, water, energy sources) and sustainable development to the foreign policy agenda, as well as their own achievements and policies in these areas.

Minister Fajon also participated in the discussion on ensuring accountability for sexual violence and other violations of international humanitarian law. On behalf of Slovenia, she called on the international community to intensify its activities in the prevention of such violence, to improve access to justice, to step up investigations of violence and prosecution, and to provide more support for victims. At the panel “Technology and Democracy”, Minister Fajon thanked Denmark for the Copenhagen Pledge on Tech for Democracy, as it lays out a framework for a shared digital future based on democratic values and human rights. “When the media and politicians start manipulating and spreading disinformation, our democracies are seriously threatened. For this reason, education about digital rights is essential if we want to respect human rights and save our democracies", she also said at the event.

On the sidelines of the General Assembly, the Minister held 15 bilateral meetings over four days and signed the Agreement on Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Slovenia and the Kyrgyz Republic. She stated: “Given the current global situation and the associated search for new markets and new business opportunities for Slovenian companies, the signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Economic Cooperation is important, since it provides an appropriate legal basis for developing and enhancing economic cooperation". Under the Agreement, the Intergovernmental Slovenian-Kyrgyz Commission will be established to exchange information on the economic situation in both countries. The Commission will try to identify obstacles to bilateral economic cooperation, propose measures to address them and bring forward proposals to improve cooperation opportunities between Slovenian and Kyrgyz businesses. Today, Minister Fajon will sign a similar agreement with the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.

At the invitation of the German and Swedish foreign ministers, she also attended a debate on foreign policy, highlighting the role of women’s thinking in politics. "Personally, I am also an advocate of feminism in international policy-making in order to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. The voice of women and girls, especially in crises, must be heard", urged Minister Fajon.

On Monday evening (CET time), the Slovenian delegation will host a reception for Permanent Representatives of UN Member States in New York, where Minister Fajon will present Slovenia’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.