Slovenia, 2010

I am indeed honoured to

address this Assembly for the first time as Prime

Minister of the Republic of Slovenia. I reaffirm my

country’s commitment to the United Nations and its

Charter.

Let me also congratulate you, Sir, on your

election as President of the General Assembly at its

sixty-fifth session. We all rely on your political

wisdom and experience, and I assure you of my

country’s utmost support in the coming weeks and

months.

In the past few years, numerous national leaders

have spoken in this very Assembly about new global

challenges that threaten our security, prosperity and

freedom. There is a general consensus that more

effective and coordinated global action is required to

address such challenges. For Slovenia, strengthening

global governance means renewing our common

commitment to multilateralism and its principles of

inclusion, legitimacy and transparency.

The United Nations must keep its place at the

core of global governance structures. However, this

Organization also needs to adapt to the contemporary

reality of an interconnected world and the resulting

new challenges and threats. As many of my colleagues

have already said, reform of the United Nations has

been long undervalued. The composition of the

Security Council is visibly out of date and the work of

the General Assembly needs revitalization. Progress in

peacekeeping reform would strengthen all other United

Nations activities relating to the maintenance of

international peace and security, including preventive

diplomacy and post-conflict peacebuilding.

The reforms of international economic and

financial systems must continue at an accelerated pace,

reflecting global development needs. Our endeavours

should aim at increasing accountability, responsibility

and solidarity, while taking into account the need for a

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stronger voice for and better participation of

developing countries, which should be fully included

in the international response to the crisis. Together, we

must build a world in which economic indicators are

not the only measure of a prosperous society. Human,

social and environmental values should also become

principal elements of our criteria. In this connection, I

encourage closer cooperation and coordination between

the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions

and between the United Nations and the Group of 20 in

finding the best possible responses to the crisis and in

addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.

It is unfortunate that, as a result of far-reaching

developments, we continue to face an even greater

challenge in climate change. Indeed, the past year has

been a year of lost opportunities. However, this should

not be a reason to lower our ambitions. Climate change

is real, the loss of biodiversity is unprecedented and

the consequences are already being felt by far too

many people around the world. In some cases, the very

existence of individual countries, States Members of

the United Nations, is at stake. This year, we must do

better and do more in Cancún to reach a comprehensive

post-2012 climate agreement that will limit global

warming to below 2°C, as stated in the Copenhagen

Accord, and improve adaptation to the adverse effects

of climate change. Our responsibilities differ, but we

must all shoulder our share of the common burden.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the countries of

Western Europe decided to open their ranks to the

States of Central and Eastern Europe. This decision

was instrumental in building a modern Europe of key

democratic values. The choice of enlargement of Euro-

Atlantic institutions was thus a choice for stability on

the continent.

Unfortunately, the financial and economic crisis

and international debates in many European States

pushed aside some of the topics that are important and

of strategic interest to the continent as a whole. The

need for a continued process of enlargement of the

European Union and NATO is one of them. I would

therefore like to underline that the commitment to

enlargement to the Western Balkans needs to be

honoured, and all the more so since the situation in the

region today has changed for the better. Obvious and

tangible progress has been made.

In this connection, I would like to recall that only

a couple of weeks ago this Assembly adopted

resolution 64/298 by consensus, acknowledging the

content of the advisory opinion of the International

Court of Justice, which was rendered in response to a

submitted request on the issue of the declaration of

independence of Kosovo. I am particularly glad that

the resolution paved the way for dialogue, which the

European Union is ready to facilitate. It is the historic

responsibility of the democratically elected leaders of

the countries of the Western Balkans to pursue

reconciliation and the rebuilding of mutual trust.

In order to promote the necessary confidence, I

therefore decided, together with the Prime Minister of

Croatia, to launch the so-called Brdo process several

months ago in Slovenia. I think the results and

consequences of this decision have so far been very

good. Our aim is to encourage dialogue and

cooperation among the political leaders with a view to

discussing mutual support and further steps on the road

to the Euro-Atlantic integration of the entire region. I

believe that we are on the right track, and we will

continue to work in this direction.

Slovenia plays an active role in the international

community and takes its responsibilities seriously. I

would therefore like to confirm once again our

dedication to our candidacy for a non-permanent seat

on the Security Council, for the period of 2012-2013,

at the elections to be held next year in this Assembly.

Slovenia views its candidature as an opportunity to

contribute further to the maintenance of international

peace and security, as well as the peaceful settlement

of disputes. We intend to build on our international

commitments and experience gained in recent years.

We are committed to upholding the rule of law, respect

for human rights, international law and international

humanitarian law, and we continue to foster open and

transparent international dialogue in the spirit of

cooperation and consensus-building.

Our candidature therefore underscores the great

significance Slovenia attaches to the role of the United

Nations in an increasingly interdependent and complex

world. Furthermore, it indicates Slovenia’s desire to

utilize its rich multilateral experience to enhance the

goals and principles of this universal, international

Organization.

Finally, let me say once more how honoured I am,

as the Prime Minister of Slovenia, to be present in this

Assembly. Extraordinary historical circumstances have

shaped the development of my country, which

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therefore attaches great importance to the constant

promotion of the noble purposes and principles of

international relations, as defined in the Charter of the

United Nations. I am therefore all the more pleased to

have been able to participate in the general debate

devoted to the reaffirmation of the central role of this

Organization in global governance.