In his address, Minister Cerar stressed that, for Slovenia, ensuring respect for and the protection and enforcement of human rights are high priorities both at home and internationally. Human rights are the foundation and precondition of peace and stability in the world, and this is why Slovenia sees them as central to preventive diplomacy. The Universal Periodic Review is thus an important mechanism that has to be recognised as an international achievement and a tangible result of effective multilateralism, said Minister Cerar.

The Slovenian delegation presented the human rights situation in Slovenia and answered questions in an interactive dialogue with 84 participating countries, many of which commended Slovenia’s progress in strengthening national institutions for the protection of human rights – the Human Rights Ombudsman and the Advocate of the Principle of Equality – and the adoption of national action plans on women, peace and security, and on business and human rights. The countries also appreciated Slovenia’s progress in the protection and enforcement of the rights of older persons, gender equality, the rights of the child, access to healthcare, the situation of members of minorities, and the rights of migrants.

The recommendations put forth mostly concerned enhanced protection of the rights of migrants, measures against hate speech, non-discrimination, and better protection of the rights of Roma.

In his closing speech, Minister Cerar stressed that Slovenia will continue to advocate for the highest standards in human rights, including gender equality and women’s empowerment. It will also promote the right to a healthy environment. “We will continue pushing for a new legal instrument to better protect the rights of older persons. We will continue to promote human rights education and training. We will stand up for vulnerable groups, and speak out in support of human rights defenders. We will play our part as best we can to help create a world in which every individual can have a prosperous future,” concluded Minister Cerar. He also announced that Slovenia would once again stand for election to the UN Human Rights Council for the period 2026–2028.

Slovenia will receive new recommendations in the following days, and will have to indicate its positions by the next UN HRC session scheduled for March 2020.

Slovenia’s national report is available at the Foreign Ministry’s website. The report is also published on the UN HRC website, which provides links to the reports of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other stakeholders regarding the human rights situation in Slovenia. The Slovenian documentation of the First and Second Cycles of the Universal Periodic Review is also available.