Organisational structure

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing development cooperation and humanitarian aid in partnership with the Permanent Coordination Group for Development Cooperation, which is composed of representatives of all ministries.

Serving as a consultative body for the Minister, the Expert Council for Development Cooperation includes representatives of state bodies, experts, and development cooperation implementing partners.

Bilateral development cooperation

Bilateral development cooperation is planned and implemented either as programme-based or project-type cooperation with partner countries and as earmarked humanitarian aid.

Bilateral development cooperation implementing partners include:

• Ministries and government offices, mostly providing bilateral technical assistance.
• Development cooperation institutions (co-)founded by the Government:
  • Centre for European Perspective (CEP),
  • ITF Enhancing Human Security (ITF),
  • Centre for International Cooperation and Development (CMSR),
• NGOs.

Bilateral development cooperation can also be implemented by international organisations through earmarked contributions (e.g. Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) based in Ljubljana).

Multilateral development cooperation

Multilateral development cooperation accounts for the greater part (approximately two thirds) of development and humanitarian aid. Funds are allocated to the EU, the CEF and other international institutions and organisations of which Slovenia is a member and within which it not only co-shapes policies and measures but also steers and implements programmes.

Humanitarian aid

By providing humanitarian aid, Slovenia expresses solidarity with countries and individuals affected by emergencies, either in the aftermath of large-scale natural and other disasters or armed conflicts. Slovenia is actively engaged in fostering crisis resilience and crisis prevention.

Slovenia channels earmarked funds to areas affected by a long-term crisis, including Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and other Middle Eastern countries, and regularly responds to sudden humanitarian disasters. Humanitarian aid is mostly provided in the form of donations to international organisations (primarily via UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross) and through bilateral projects led by the ITF and Slovenian NGOs.

Slovenia is well aware of the need to find relevant and effective solutions to present-day crises that are becoming increasingly complex. In the future, greater focus will be placed on combining humanitarian aid with development cooperation, especially reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes.