State Secretary Žbogar underlined Slovenia's strong international engagement on the environment, linking climate, water and food security. He called for the strengthening of ocean resilience and effective international ocean governance and went on to highlight Slovenia’s numerous international initiatives, including the UN Security Council candidature, which puts the environment at the top of the security agenda.

At this year's meeting, delegations from around 70 countries will approve the work and recommendations of both the Scientific and the Conservation Committee, which address the main threats to whales and dolphins and their environment, such as bycatch, entanglement in discarded fishing and other gear, stranding, collisions with ships, underwater noise, pollution, marine litter, the impact of climate change, and steps towards the establishment of protected areas.

This meeting is focused on the establishment of a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic and on the adoption of resolutions on reducing the impact of marine plastic pollution, on food security in relation to whales, and on steps to re-introduce commercial whaling.