The end of the Cold War reduced the threat of a world war in Europe and increased the threat of regional confrontations, centred on the area of South Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia.

In recent times, terrorism has been exposed as a form of threat to national security. The terrorist attacks in the United States and elsewhere initiated mechanisms of national and collective security.

From the beginning, the Republic of Slovenia has participated in the international counter-terrorism coalition with substantive contributions, and associates itself in international forums with initiatives and measures to fight terrorism. Its support to and implementation of measures adopted within the UN, the EU, NATO, the OSCE and the Council of Europe unambiguously and firmly set Slovenia in the antiterrorist camp. Among binding documents, the Resolution of the UN Security Council and the Action Plan for the Fight against Terrorism within the EU should be emphasised.

The Republic of Slovenia has responded to new security challenges with activities in different international organisations and forums, such as the UN, EU, EAPC and OSCE, as well as with active policy in arms control, prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, small arms and light weapons, the fight against organised crime and terrorism, etc. Slovenia is also an active participant in military and civil components of peacekeeping operations. For a successful intervention, the increasingly complex security environment requires improved mechanisms that aim at a holistic approach to resolving conflicts; this in turn requires the cooperation of the ministries of foreign affairs, defence, the interior, health, justice and others.

Slovenia takes an active part in the OSCE, confirming its role in preventive diplomacy, resolving conflicts and post-conflict rehabilitation (the Charter for European Security). Slovenia devotes special attention to enhancing confidence and stability within the framework of the security dimension (Vienna Document 1999, Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons, etc.), and human rights and democratisation within the human dimension (ODIHR). However, the economic and environmental dimensions of the OSCE are becoming increasingly important.

Slovenia is a Party to all of the most important international agreements on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and prohibition of other types of weapons of mass destruction, among others the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which was one of the first treaties to be ratified by Slovenia after gaining independence. Slovenia has been a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency since 21 September 1992, participating actively most notably in the fields of nuclear safety, protection of nuclear material and radiation protection. Slovenia was a member of the Board of Governors for the first time in the 1997–1999 term and presided in the one-year period 1998–1999. At the 49th IAEA General Conference, Slovenia was re-elected as a member of the Board of Governors, assuming the chairmanship in September 2006 for a one-year period (represented by Chairman Ernest Petrič, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the IAEA and Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the Republic of Austria).

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (http://www.ctbto.org/), which has not yet entered into force, was signed by Slovenia on 24 September 1996 and ratified on 31 August 1999. In 1992, Slovenia became a successor to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BTWC), with the Act notifying succession to UN conventions. In 1993, Slovenia was one of the first countries to sign the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (CWC). In 1997, the Convention was ratified and entered into force. Slovenia was a member of the OPCW Executive Council from 2000 to 2002 and has already announced its candidature for the 2010–2012 period. The Strategic Material Act was adopted in 2006, implementing BTWC and CWC, as well as the provisions of the Australia Group.

Slovenia takes an active part in international endeavours towards preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, becoming a member of two prominent international control regimes in this field in 2000, including the Zangger Committee (ZAC; http://www.zanggercommittee.org) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG; http://www.nuclearsuppliersgroup.org/). Members of these two regimes, principally the most economically advanced countries, harmonise their policy in strengthening the control of strategic substances and technology that may be misused for the manufacture of nuclear weapons. In 2004, Slovenia became a member of the Australia Group (AG; http://www.australiagroup.net/en/index.html), which unites countries introducing high standards in export control over biological and chemical weapons, as well as dual-use goods. The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC; http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/gadis3286.doc.htm) is the most concrete initiative in fighting against ballistic missile proliferation to be joined by Slovenia. Since 2005, Slovenia has participated in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI; http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/PSI.asp). The basic purpose of the PSI, in which presently more than 80 countries take part, is to intercept illegal cargo containing weapons of mass destruction intended for terrorists or organised crime organisations.

In the field of conventional arms, Slovenia takes an active part in the fight against antipersonnel mines. The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention; http://www.un.org/Depts/mine/UNDocs/ban_trty.htm) was signed on 3 December 1997 and ratified on 27 October 1998. In 1998, the Slovenian government established the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF; http://www.itf-fund.si/), which has since grown into a most useful and valuable project, encouraged and implemented by the Slovenian government using its own regular annual donations and the financial assistance of the international community.

Slovenia is a Party to all five protocols of the Convention on Prohibition or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW; http://www.unog.ch/80256EE600585943/(httpPages)/4F0DEF093B4860B4C1257180004B1B30?OpenDocument). Within the framework of this Convention, Slovenia participates in the 31-country group striving for the adoption of a document on mines other than antipersonnel mines (MOTAPM). In 2006, Slovenia had already joined international community activities to limit the use of cluster munitions. Slovenia also joined the Austria-Sweden Initiative at the Third CCW Review Conference, and participated at the Conference on Cluster Munitions in Oslo and joined the final declaration. Together with EU Member States, Slovenia presented, in June 2007, the initiative for the commencement of negotiations on the new legally binding protocol in the framework of the CCW.

Slovenian activities in the field of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) are focused on national measures and international activities. In the field of light weapons, regular inter-ministerial coordination is taking place at the national level. In March 2003, the UN-OSCE Conference on Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects in South Eastern Europe was held in Slovenia. At the international level, Slovenia participates actively in various initiatives and instruments, implementing measures within the EU, UN, OSCE, NATO and export control regimes (Wassenaar Arrangement). In July 2001, the Conference on Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects was convened, adopting the Programme of Action, which defined measures for effective control and prevention of illegal SALW trade.

At the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA; http://www.wassenaar.org/index.html) Plenary Session in December 2004, Slovenia became a member, but entered formally into the regime in February 2005. The basic principles of the WA are: contributing to regional and international security and stability; promoting transparency and greater responsibility in the export of conventional arms and dual-use goods; and completing international control regimes in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Within the integration into the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, Slovenia joined the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports (adopted in 1998), defining common criteria for export policy and control.

More on the EU Code of Conduct: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/08675r2en8.pdf

Slovenia actively supports the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), regulating the international arms trade at the global level. Slovenia communicated to the UN Secretariat a positive national position on ATT, thus becoming one of the 92 countries to do so.

Slovenia’s contribution:

www.controlarms.org/peoples-consultation/documents/slovenias-response-to-the-UNSG-request.pdf

Slovenia also participates in other international mechanisms in the field of control over weapons, such as the UN Register of Conventional Arms – Military Expenditures.

Useful links:

Ministry of Defence: www.mors.si
Council of the EU: www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.ASP
UN: www.un.org
Arms Trade Treaty: www.controlarms.org/peoples-consultation/submissions.htm
SIPRI: www.sipri.org
Saferworld: www.saferworld.org.uk
SEESAC: www.seesac.org