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Security Council is visibly out of date and the work of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.