Slovenia condemns in the strictest terms terrorism in any form. There is not and cannot be any justification for terrorism. The interdependence of the international community and the indivisibility of international security have never been so pronounced as at the present time of globalisation. Openness and transparency can potentially have negative effects, including greater vulnerability to terrorism and organised crime. Comprehensive action of democratic states is required in the fight against terrorism.

Full respect for values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law constitutes the most effective weapon in fighting terrorism in the long run. Enhanced security should not affect the generally accepted standards for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Slovenia expresses solidarity with all countries that have been victims of terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, the international community still has not either defined terrorism or formulated a unified position on it. Slovenia therefore welcomes all initiatives and efforts to overcome this deadlock.

In the fight against terrorism, action should be taken at two levels: within international organisations at the global and regional levels, and through appropriate legislation and its effective implementation at the national level. Fight against terrorism includes close coordination of international and internal measures (political, financial, legislative, police, military, administrative, etc.).

Slovenia also believes that prevention of radicalisation, extremism and terrorist recruitment are the most important areas of preventive fight against terrorism and therefore supports the implementation of the EU strategy and action plan; however, they should take into account special regional features.

In international forums, Slovenia actively supports, associates itself with, and participates in initiatives and measures to fight terrorism. The support to and implementation of measures adopted within the UN, the EU, NATO, the OSCE, and the CoE unambiguously and firmly set Slovenia in the antiterrorist camp. Among binding documents, UN Security Council Resolution No. 1373 (2001), the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy should be pointed out.

Slovenia has ratified 12 international conventions and protocols of the UN relating to the fight against terrorism and was – on 14 September 2005 – one of the first countries to sign the last, thirteenth Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Its ratification is planned for 2007, as the relevant articles of the Criminal Code have to be amended.

On 12 October 2001, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Declaration on the Common Fight Against Terrorism wherein Slovenia joins the international community in its determination to unite in the fight against terrorism and calls for the implementation of concrete measures. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has adopted relevant decisions to engage individual ministries in specific activities for the fight against terrorism.

Slovenia is a signatory of many bilateral and multilateral agreements or conventions on the fight against terrorism. Slovenia fulfils obligations under these legally binding agreements with legislative and practical measures. As a member of the UN and other international organisations, Slovenia is obliged, in accordance with responsibilities deriving from its membership, to adopt and/or lift restrictive measures against countries, territorial entities, movements, international organisations and persons, as a result of the implementation of UN or other sanctions binding on the Republic of Slovenia, or if countermeasures should be adopted in accordance with international law.

A list of international instruments for the fight against terrorism binding on the Republic of Slovenia

A. Universal international legal instruments

I. UNITED NATIONS

1. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents (New York,14 December 1973)

Depositary: UN Secretary-General. Slovenia is a successor to this Convention.

2. International Convention against the Taking of Hostages (New York, 17 December 1979)

Depositary: UN Secretary-General. Slovenia is a successor to this Convention.

3. International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (New York, 15 December 1997)

Depositary: UN Secretary-General. Slovenia signed the Convention on 30 October 1998. Ratified on 18 December 2002, applies as of 25 October 2003.

4. International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (New York, 9 December 1999)

Depositary: UN Secretary-General. Slovenia signed the Convention on 10 November 2001. Ratified on 15 July 2004, applies as of 23 October 2004.

5. International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (New York, 13 April 2005)

Depositary: UN Secretary-General. Slovenia signed the Convention on 14 September 2005. The Convention is in the ratification process.

More information available at: http://untreaty.un.org/English/Terrorism.asp

II. INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION (ICAO)

6. Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft (Tokyo, 14 September 1963)

Depositary: ICAO Secretary General. Slovenia is a successor to this Convention.

7. Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (the Hague, 16 December 1970)

Depositaries: Russian Federation, Great Britain and the USA. Slovenia is a successor to this Convention.

8. Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (Montreal, 23 September 1971)

Depositaries: Russian Federation, Great Britain and the USA. Slovenia is a successor to this Convention.

9. Protocol on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airport Serving International Civil Aviation supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (Montreal, 24 February 1988)

Depositaries: ICAO Secretary General, Great Britain and Russian Federation. Slovenia is a successor to this Protocol.

10. Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection (Montreal, 1 March 1991)

Depositary: ICAO Secretary General. Slovenia ratified the Convention; it applies as of 4 August 2000.

More information available at: http://www.icao.int/

III. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)

11. Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (Vienna, 3 March 1980)

Depositary: IAEA Director General. Slovenia is a successor to this Convention.

12. Amendments to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (Vienna, 8 July 2005)

Depositary: IAEA Director General. The Convention is in the ratification process.

More information available at: http://www.iaea.org/

IV. INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO)

13. Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (Rome, 10 March 1988)

Depositary: IMO Secretary-General. Slovenia ratified the Convention on 18 June 2003; it applies as of 16 October 2003; accession.

14. Protocol of 2005 to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (London, 14 October 2005)

15. Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (Rome, 10 March 1988)

Depositary: IMO Secretary-General. The Protocol was ratified on 18 June 2003 and it applies as of 16 October 2003; accession.

16. Protocol of 2005 to the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (London, 14 October 2005)

More information available at: http://www.imo.org/index.htm

B. Instruments of regional character

V. COUNCIL OF EUROPE (CoE)

1. European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism (Strasbourg, 27 January 1977)

Depositary: SG CoE. Slovenia signed the Convention on 28 March 2000 and ratified it on 29 November 2000. Applicable to Slovenia since 1 March 2001.

2. European Convention on the Transfer of Proceedings in Criminal Matters (Strasbourg, 15 May 1972)

Depositary: SG CoE. Slovenia signed the Convention on 24 June 2002.

3. European Convention on the Compensation of Victims of Violent Crimes (Strasbourg, 24 November 1983)

The Ministry of Justice is preparing a proposal for signing.

4. Convention on Cyber-Crime (Budapest, 23 November 2001)

Depositary: SG CoE. Slovenia signed the Convention on 24 July 2002 and ratified it on 8 September 2004. Applicable to Slovenia since 1 January 2005.

5. Additional Protocol to the Convention on cyber crime, concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems (Strasbourg, 28 January 2003)

Slovenia signed the Additional Protocol on 26 February 2004 and ratified it on 20 May 2004. It entered into force on 1 March 2006.

6. Protocol amending the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism (Strasbourg, 15 May 2003)

Slovenia signed the Protocol on 15 July 2003 and ratified it on 11 May 2004.

7. Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism (Warsaw, 16 May 2005)

Slovenia signed the Convention on 19 May 2006.

8. Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism (Warsaw, 16 May 2005)

Slovenia has not yet signed the Convention; it is in-procedure for signing.

More information available at: http://conventions.coe.int/

C. Measures in national legislation

1. Act Relating to Restrictive Measures Introduced or Implemented in Compliance with Legal Instruments and Decisions Adopted within International Organisations (Uradni list RS, No. 127/2006, ZOUPAMO)

On the basis of the Restrictive Measures Act, relating to the fight against terrorism, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has already adopted:

- Decree on Measures Directed against the Taliban (Afghanistan) (Uradni list RS, No. 33/2002)

- Decree amending the Decree on Measures Directed against the Taliban (Afghanistan) (Uradni list RS, No. 33/2002)

- Decree amending the Decree on Measures Directed against the Taliban (Afghanistan) (Uradni list RS, No. 11/2003)

- Decree amending the Decree on Measures Directed against the Taliban (Afghanistan) (Uradni list RS, No. 8/2004)

- Decree on the Expiration of the Decree on Measures Directed against the Taliban (Afghanistan) (Uradni list RS, No. 67/2005)

- Decree on Specific Restrictive Measures Directed against Certain Persons and Entities with a View to Combating Terrorism (Uradni list RS, No. 67/2005)

- Decree imposing certain specific restrictive measures against Osama bin Laden, members of the Al-Qaeda organisation, the Taliban and other natural and legal persons, groups and undertakings associated with them (Uradni list RS, No. 67/2005)

On the basis of the Restrictive Measures Act, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has also adopted:

- Decree on Measures Directed against Iraq (Uradni list RS, No. 79/2001)

- Decree on Measures Directed against UNITA (Angola) (Uradni list RS, No. 79/2001)

- Decree on Measures Directed against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Uradni list RS, No. 33/02)

- Decree amending the Decree on Measures Directed against Iraq (Uradni list RS, No. 11/2003)

- Decree on the Expiration of the Decree on Measures Directed against UNITA (Angola) (Uradni list RS, No. 11/2003)

- Decree on Measures Directed against Sierra Leone (Uradni list RS, No. 11/2003)

- Decree on Measures Directed against Eritrea and Ethiopia (Uradni list RS, No. 11/2003)

- Decree on Measures Directed against Rwanda (Uradni list RS, No. 11/2003)

- Decree on Measures Directed against Liberia (Uradni list RS, No. 11/2003)

- Decree on Measures Directed against Somalia (Uradni list RS, No. 11/2003)

- Decree in the Restriction and Control of Imports and Exports of Raw Diamonds (Uradni list RS, No. 38/2003)

- Decree amending the Decree on Measures Directed against Iraq (Uradni list RS, No. 58/2003)

- Decree amending the Decree on the Restriction and Control of Imports and Exports of Raw Diamonds (Uradni list RS, No. 114/2003)

- Decree amending the Decree on Measures Directed against Iraq (Uradni list RS, No. 8/2004)

- Decree supplementing the Decree on the Restriction and Control of Imports and Exports of Raw Diamonds (Uradni list RS, No. 8/2004)

- Decree on Measures Directed against Myanmar (Burma) (Uradni list RS, No. 8/2004)

- Decree amending the Decree on Measures Directed against Liberia (Uradni list RS, No. 8/2004)

- Decree implementing the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for the International Trade in Rough Diamonds (Uradni list RS, No. 87/2004)

- Decree concerning Restrictive Measures in respect of Myanmar (Burma) (Uradni list RS, No. 108/2005)

- Decree concerning Restrictive Measures in respect of Zimbabwe (Uradni list RS, No. 108/2005)

- Decree imposing Restrictive Measures Directed against Côte d'Ivoire (Uradni list RS, No. 108/2005)

- Decree concerning Restrictive Measures in respect of Libya (Uradni list RS, No. 108/2005)

- Decree concerning Restrictive Measures in respect of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Uradni list RS, No. 108/2005)

- Decree Imposing Certain Restrictive Measures in Support of Effective Implementation of the Mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (Uradni list RS, No. 112/2005)

- Decree Renewing Measures in Support of Effective Implementation of the Mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (Uradni list RS, No. 112/2005)

- Decree Maintaining Specific Restrictive Measures against Slobodan Milosevic and Persons Associated with Him (Uradni list RS, No. 112/2005)

- Decree Prohibiting the Satisfying of Claims with Regard to Contracts and Transactions the Performance of which was Affected by the United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 757 (1992) and Related Resolutions (Uradni list RS, No. 118/2005)

- Decree concerning specific restrictive measures against certain persons suspected of involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri (Uradni list RS, No. 45/2006)

- Decree prohibiting the satisfying of claims by the Haitian authorities with regard to contracts and transactions the performance of which was affected by the measures imposed by or pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolutions 917 (1994), 841 (1993), 873 (1993) and 875 (1993) (Uradni list RS, No. 80/2006)

- Decree on restrictive measures against certain persons in the Republic of Macedonia (Uradni list RS, No. 80/2006)

- Decree on the end of validity of the Decree on measures against Eritrea and Ethiopia (Uradni list RS, No. 80/2006)

- Decree concerning restrictive measures against the leadership of the Transnistrian region of the Moldovan Republic (Uradni list RS, No. 80/2006)

On the basis of the ZOUPAMO, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has also adopted:

- Decree amending the decree concerning restrictive measures in respect of Myanmar (Burma) (Uradni list RS, No. 94/2007)

- Decree on the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/96 of 22 November 1996 protecting against the effects of the extra-territorial application of legislation adopted by a third country, and actions based thereon or resulting therefrom (Uradni list RS, No. 94/2007)

- Decree on restrictive measures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 329/2007 of 27 March 2007 concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Uradni list RS, No. 94/2007)

- Decree on restrictive measures against Iran and implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 423/2007 of 19 April 2007 concerning restrictive measures against Iran (Uradni list RS, No. 94/2007)

More information available at: http://www.mzz.gov.si/si/zunanja_politika/mednarodna_varnost/omejevalni_ukrepi/

EU Presidency and external aspects of fight against terrorism

In accordance with the joint 18-month presidency programme of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia, we will strive for continued implementation of the external dimension of the EU counter-terrorism strategy. Special attention will be paid to strengthening cooperation with international organisations, political dialogue, technical assistance to priority countries and assuring the comprehensive implementation of existing obligations.

Useful links:

http://www.un.org/terrorism/

www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp