I was born after the Second World War. All my life the cry “Never again!” has echoed around the world, especially in Europe. With the exception of the war in the Balkans, even the major geopolitical changes in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall have been peaceful. That has made an important contribution to building hope for lasting peace.
That hope has been thoroughly shaken by the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Will that make us stop believing in the possibility of lasting peace? I think it will not. We must not leave our children in fear of war. For the sake of their secure future, we have a duty to do whatever we can to ensure that the precious
hope for a lasting peace returns to our hearts. After all, it was with that hope and our shared responsibility that the United Nations was founded.
The United Nations has set very clear rules of engagement to which all Members have committed themselves, including a commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes, cooperation and respect for fundamental human dignity.
I wish to speak about peace, climate change and multilateralism today.
First, with regard to peace and security, the Russian Federation’s decision to conduct a military attack on Ukraine has shaken those rules, as have many other armed conflicts in different parts of the world. The Russian aggression has put international security at risk.
Yesterday’s announcement by President Putin that a referendum will be held in parts of Ukraine is a continuation of aggression and is in breach of international law. I especially condemn his words about the possible use of nuclear weapons.
The war is threatening the already fragile stability of the Western Balkans. It has also threatened international food and energy security. I commend the Secretary-General for his engagement, and Tiirkiye for its support in reaching the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Peace, as I just said, is not just the absence of war. In peace, leaders should strengthen and nurture good relations with other countries. It is our obligation to resolve outstanding issues in a spirit of compromise and mutual understanding. Only in that way will we reduce the chances that old grievances and historical traumas will re-emerge.
I am grateful to many here for the opportunity to build good relations together for the benefit and wellbeing of our countries and the wider international community. Fostering good relations and building trust within and among societies is the most effective means of preventing armed conflicts.
Secondly, we need more cooperation for a better future. Nurturing and strengthening good relations among countries is also necessary to more efficiently address the challenges of our times, of which climate change is one of the most pressing. Our common task is to preserve the planet for future generations. What we need is more efficient measures and more solidarity.
Slovenia pledges special support to Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to assist them in their efforts against biodiversity loss, water stress and climate damage.
We are contributing to the Least Developed Countries Fund of the Global Environment Facility.
Having initiated the Green Group, Slovenia is working with like-minded countries on the promotion of green policies.
We are deeply grateful to the General Assembly for the historic universal recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Slovenia was one of its original proponents, along with Costa Rica, Maldives, Morocco and Switzerland. That was a much-needed boost for multilateralism, but we can and should do more.
The upcoming United Nations conferences on climate change, biodiversity and water are an excellent opportunity to commit ourselves to do more and do better.
I wish to thank the Secretary-General for issuing his report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982). We support the proposed holding of a second world social summit in 2025 and expect it to address the challenges of structural inequalities.
There is no security and development without respect for human dignity. In all our efforts, we should lead with a rights-based approach. We should be attentive to all signs of human rights regression and should act accordingly.
Thirdly and finally, with regard to strengthening multilateralism and candidatures for the Security Council, the Charter of the United Nations is fundamental to our international system. A rules-based order is a sine qua non for maintaining peace and security, a just and balanced international system. Slovenia has proved itself a reliable and trustworthy member of the United Nations family and an honest broker. We are engaged in a genuine dialogue and a constant search for creative and good solutions to our common challenges. We are part of peacemaking and stabilization efforts that include humanitarian demining, rehabilitation and saving the lives of civilians all around the globe. We actively participate in efforts to strengthen the legal framework and respect for international law, including efforts to end impunity. We are building trust to secure
a better future. Slovenia has no enemies, but only friends all around the globe.
My country is well placed to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the term 2024 to 2025. We will strive unwaveringly for peace, justice, mutual understanding and reconciliation, both within and among societies, as well as for respect for ethnic, national and religious diversity and the promotion of sustainable development and solidarity. That is Slovenia’s task, and it is our common task.