Both meetings were chaired by David Lammy, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, which holds the presidency of the Security Council for the month of November.

In Slovenia’s statement on the situation in the Middle East, Štucin condemned the escalation of violence in Gaza, describing the past year as a period of “pain and destruction unprecedented in recent history.” The scale of the suffering was underlined by the fact that 90% of the population in Gaza had been displaced. He also called on the Security Council to demand an immediate ceasefire and urgent humanitarian access.

The State Secretary also expressed his concern about the instability in the region, as violence continues to escalate in Lebanon and the West Bank. He reiterated Slovenia’s commitment to diplomacy and to the two-state solution and stressed that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank must end. “We must protect international law at all costs,” he concluded, calling for support for international courts such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to ensure accountability.

On the 1,000th day of the war in Ukraine, Štucin spoke at the Security Council’s high-level meeting on Ukraine about his recent visit to Kyiv and Bucha and underlined the high toll the war has taken on civilians. “Last week I visited Bucha, one of the many places where mass graves have been found. In just one of them, 508 Ukrainians are buried,” he said. The civilian death toll continues to rise.

In his words, 1,000 days of war in Ukraine also means 1,000 days of inaction by the Security Council: “With every day of inaction, the integrity of international law, including the UN Charter, is eroded,” Štucin added. “Now more than ever, it is important for the members of the Security Council to condemn aggression and demand respect for international law.”

The State Secretary concluded by stressing the need for a just and lasting peace that would respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “We need a peace that does not undermine international law. Slovenia will support Ukraine every step of the way and for as long as it takes,” he concluded.