Slovenia donates to victims of crimes
Slovenian Ambassador in The Hague Jožef Drofenik and Executive Director of the Trust Fund for Victims Deborah Ruiz Verduzco at a meeting on the occasion of the implementation of Slovenia's contribution to the Trust Fund | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve
As a long-standing supporter of the fight against impunity and respect for human rights, Slovenia focuses its activities on helping victims of crimes. In proceedings to establish criminal responsibility for the most serious crimes before the International Criminal Court, victims have the right to participate as witnesses in court proceedings and to claim damages as injured parties.
The States Parties to the Rome Statute have established the Trust Fund for Victims, which operates as an autonomous institution within the ICC system. Its main tasks are to pay court-ordered reparations and to provide material and other assistance to victims and their families to help them reintegrate into their communities with dignity. The Victims' Trust Fund is financed by voluntary contributions.
The number of cases before the ICC has increased in recent years and, in particular, the number of victims in need of assistance and reparations has grown significantly. Victims come from many different countries. Providing assistance to victims of the most serious crimes promotes justice, reconciliation and international peace.
Slovenia was one of the founding members of the ICC and has been contributing to the Trust Fund for Victims since 2006, demonstrating its understanding of the need to provide assistance to all victims of crimes and to ensure regular, systematic and effective assistance. Its contributions are not earmarked for any particular group of victims or for victims in any particular country. The Trust Fund for Victims channels its resources in accordance with established eligibility rules and priorities, based on an assessment of where resources are most needed at any given time.
The contribution reflects Slovenia's commitment to international law, with a focus on supporting the work of international criminal justice and ensuring justice for victims of the most serious crimes. This is part of a comprehensive approach to international peace and security and serves as a basis for Slovenia's engagement in the context of its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the period 2024–2025.