Slovenia, 2007

Mr. President,

let me first express my gratitude to your predecessor,

Her Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, for

her leadership of the General Assembly. To you, Sir, on

behalf of Slovenia, I assure full support for your

leadership. We also look forward to cooperating with

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

An important part of the sixty-second session of

the General Assembly will coincide with a period of

increased international responsibility for Slovenia. We

will do our best to make good use of this opportunity

and to benefit not only Europe, but the international

community as a whole. The United Nations will be at

the heart of our efforts. This Organization still

represents humankind in its best light.

The discussions this week have proved that the

global community has identified the challenges brought

about by the human impact on the environment. The

will to find solutions under United Nations auspices

was clearly expressed. The sheer dimension and

complexity of the issue require that this Organization

have primacy.

Today, environmental changes are occurring all

over the world. Slovenia pins great hopes on a regional

approach in the search for solutions. At the global

level, we support the principle of common, but

different, responsibilities. A common approach is

necessary because of the considerable impact of

climate change, including on global security and

stability.

Country-specific solutions should allow space for

realizing development potential. Slovenia is very

serious about its commitments within the European

framework. The European Union has showed the will

and ability to take initiative. We hope that such

examples will set the dominant tone of the overall

discussion through the new framework for the period

after 2012.

Slovenia welcomes the progress made so far in

the United Nations reform process and will continue to

work towards the more responsive, effective and

representative United Nations.

The role of the United Nations in maintaining

peace and security is indispensable. This year, more

than 10 per cent of the members of the Slovenian

armed forces participated in missions abroad under the

mandate of the Security Council. The majority of them

helped to strengthen peace and stability in South-

Eastern Europe, and also in Afghanistan, Lebanon and

Iraq.

In the last decade and a half, the international

community has dedicated considerable human and

financial resources to the region of the Balkans. The

contribution is great; therefore the dividends of peace

for the whole region should not be wasted at the end of

the stabilization process. We need to pursue solutions

to secure these dividends; then they should be further

invested in the common European project.

The international community must, within the

framework of the United Nations, complete the

establishment of mechanisms aimed at meeting the

challenges of the twenty-first century. Finalizing a

comprehensive United Nations convention on

international terrorism must continue to be a key

priority. Another challenge remains concrete

application of the concept of the responsibility to

protect.

Even the most determined efforts to achieve

global security have little chance for lasting success

under conditions of inequality. Therefore, achieving the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is of

paramount importance. Creating equal opportunities

for the disadvantaged and demonstrating solidarity

with them are sustainable investments in peace. It is

only when both developed and developing countries

choose to make such investments that the benefits of

the world’s current economic growth will be more

fairly distributed.

Slovenia was very pleased to become a member

of the Human Rights Council. The trust that has been

placed in us will be honoured through our active and

open efforts to achieve the implementation of human

rights standards. We will continue to support the policy

of global abolition of the death penalty.

Slovenia attaches great importance to the concept

of human security, which is in accordance with the

pillars of the United Nations: development, security

and human rights. We accord special attention to

children: the youngest victims of violence, poverty and

deadly pandemics are also the most powerless.

Therefore, it remains true that a man never stands so

tall as when he kneels to help a child.

In that respect, Slovenia takes particular pride in

its full cooperation with the non-governmental sector.

The Together Foundation, which is concerned with the

psychosocial well-being of children in societies

affected by armed conflict, and the Slovenian

International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine

Victims Assistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina were

founded as a result of Slovenia’s initiatives aimed at

the wider region.

Slovenia actively participates in initiatives on

intercultural dialogue, devoting special attention to the

Mediterranean area. We hope to see the early

establishment of a Euro-Mediterranean university,

which would be a Slovenian contribution to raising

awareness about the need for peaceful coexistence

among those with different cultures and world views.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, one of the chief

architects of the United Nations, predicted at the time

of the establishment of the Organization that change

would be a regular feature of its development. Indeed,

the United Nations continues to be built today. The

great hopes of humanity depend on our joint efforts,

which will never be completed. Therefore, it is my

hope that the sixty-second session of the General

Assembly will be crowned with success.