About the Slovene Intelligence and Security Agency
The Agency’s principal tasks include protecting national interests in the areas of security, politics and economics, and ensuring national security. The organisational structure of the Agency is formed accordingly. The areas of activity and powers of the Agency, the forms of cooperation with other state authorities and established forms of control over its work are comprehensively set out in the national security programme adopted by the National Assembly.
The Agency carries out its work under the supervision of the legislative, judicial and executive branches of authority and the public. Internal control mechanisms are also implemented, which is a characteristic of modern security and intelligence services in democratic countries.
The development of the Agency focuses on the formation of a modern and dynamic agency, where modern information and analytic methods and state-of-the-art information technology play an important role. The Agency’s development and strategic goals are focused on the professional development of its employees, the development of an appropriate organisational culture, and the efficient and economical use of material resources.
Vision
The vision of the Agency is the provision of the necessary information and the implementation of activities to ensure security and tactical and strategic advantages in the realisation of Slovenia’s national interests.
Leadership
Supervision
In democratic countries, the operation of security and intelligence services is constantly monitored, in particular in terms of the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the legality and professionalism of their work. Slovenia is a member of the community of democratic countries, so the operation of its security and intelligence services is constantly under the scrutiny of various institutions.
The work of SOVA is monitored by the Ombudsman, the Supreme Court, the competent commission of the National Assembly, the Government, the Court of Audit, the Budgetary Inspection Service, the public and the Information Commissioner. In addition to external forms of supervision, the agency also provides internal control.
The Ombudsman is competent for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in relation to state bodies. These bodies, including SOVA, have to provide the Ombudsman on request with all data and information to which he or she is entitled and enable him or her to conduct an enquiry.
The judicial oversight is carried out principally by the President of the Supreme Court, who authorises the implementation of special forms of information collection, as specified in the Slovene Intelligence and Security Agency Act, by written order. The Agency is obliged to notify the President of the Supreme Court about the cessation of the use of special forms of information collection.
The competent commission of the National Assembly performs the supervision of the Agency in accordance with the Parliamentary Supervision of Intelligence and Security Services Act. The commission has special competences when monitoring the legality of the use of special forms of information collection since it has access to the documents on the use of such information, and it may also inspect the facilities and premises used by the Agency. The commission also performs supervision through the examination of the annual activity and financial management report and the work programme for the current year. Both documents are submitted to the commission for consideration by the Government. The Agency reports to the commission on the execution of its general activities every four months, or more frequently if necessary.
Varstvo osebnih podatkov
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Jana Hibler
Public Information Officer
Slovene Intelligence and Security Agency