State Secretary Štiglic took part in the UN Security Council's high-level open debate in New York on the impact of climate change and food insecurity on the maintenance of international peace and security. In her speech, she stressed the importance of timely detection of processes related to climate change and food security that could lead to conflict.

ector-Genreal of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations QU Dongyu visited Slovenia at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar. As part of his visit to Slovenia, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Mateja Čalušić will host the Director-General today and tomorrow. Today, they visited two farms in the vicinity of Ljubljana and the Municipality of Dol pri Ljubljani.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met with Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay.

On 2 January 2024, the flag of Slovenia was officially raised in front of the Security Council Chamber together with other four new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council (Algeria, Guyana, Republic of Korea and Sierra Leone). During the ceremony the Representative of Slovenia to the UN Security Council Ambassador Samuel Žbogar stated: "The work of Slovenia in the Council will be guided by the UN Charter, international law, and our foreign policy of peace. We pledge to act in good will and transparency. We trust in the multilateral system with the UN at its core as the only way to find solutions to the most serious crisis." Slovenia will base its activities on four thematic priorities: prevention of conflicts, protection of populations in armed conflicts, women, peace and security and climate, peace and security.

Today, the UN Security Council convened an open briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. The meeting followed the 26 January order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case of South Africa against Israel, indicating provisional measures. Slovenia voiced its clear and strong support to the ICJ’s work and underlined that UNRWA is playing an indispensable role in the midst of the current crisis.

On 27 January, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, Slovenia remembers the Jewish, Roma and other victims of the Holocaust, including many from Slovenia.

For the first time since Slovenia became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon participated in the ministerial meeting of the UNSC in New York on the situation in the Middle East. In her address, she called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and in the region, outlining the reasons why it is so important.

In the first episode of the GOVSI podcast, host Boštjan Lajovic hosts Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, and Marjan Šarc, Minister of Defence.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs proposed to the Government that Slovenia participate in the ICJ proceedings initiated by the UN General Assembly in 2022 concerning Israel's allegedly controversial activities in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which the Government approved. Minister Fajon stressed that the alleged violations in question cover a broad spectrum and have been taking place in the region for decades, going beyond the recent conflict.

We begin our membership of the UN Security Council in a period full of complex challenges for the international community. This will make it all the more important that, as we have done in the past, we work for balanced international relations and for the protection of the most vulnerable.

On 1 January 2024, Slovenia becomes a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the second time in its history. Following its successful election by an overwhelming majority of 153 votes, and after three months as an observer, Slovenia will participate in decisions to maintain international peace and security during the 2024–2025 term. It will act in an inclusive and responsible manner, committed to the principles of the UN Charter, international law and human rights.

The Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council concludes its 51st regular session today. Between 12 September and 7 October 2022, the central body of the UN in the field of human rights addressed the most pressing human rights situations around the world and adopted a number of thematic resolutions. At the meeting, Slovenia presented two initiatives in cooperation with partner countries, an initiative on the human rights of older persons and a resolution on human rights education. Slovenian expert Dr Sancin was elected to the Advisory Committee of the Council.

The international regional conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on development cooperation in the European region is taking place in Vienna. Slovenia was invited to participate in the conference as an example of good practice and, as a result, the representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology are presenting the Slovenian model of international development cooperation.

The 51st regular session of the Human Rights Council opens today in Geneva. Slovenia will actively participate in the discussions and negotiations on the initiatives and will also table a resolution on a global agenda for human rights education on behalf of its regional group. Together with Argentina and Brazil, Slovenia will also propose extending the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons.

Slovenia is participating in the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Conference on an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon attended the opening session of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In her speech, she highlighted the significant contribution the Treaty makes to world peace and safety, especially taking into account the complexity of the security environment marked by various challenges and threats. She advocated the further strengthening of the Treaty through the implementation of its three pillars – disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The resolution passed at the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York declares the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment on a global level.

Following the 30th anniversary celebration of Slovenia’s membership to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller and the Slovenian Minister of Economic Development and Technology Matjaž Han signed a Roadmap for Cooperation.

The 50th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHR), which will run from 13 June to 8 July 2022, is getting under way in Geneva. Among the topics in the focus of the session, Slovenia will pay particular attention to issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, human rights, and the environment, and will also react to the worrying human rights situation in individual countries.