In 2006, the decade of Kofi Annan’s work as Secretary-General came to an end; in that period he had particularly strengthened the UN in the areas of human rights, the rule of law and the development goals of the Millennium Declaration. The new Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, was appointed in October 2006 and assumed office on 1 January 2007.

After the World Summit in September 2005, at which the states adopted guidelines for UN reform, several negotiations were held, and there were fewer achieved agreements and less actual progress. A step forward was taken in some areas, however: the UN budget was adopted; an agreement on the establishment of the new Human Rights Council, with 43 elected members, was adopted; and the new Peacebuilding Commission began operating and tackled issues in Sierra Leone and Burundi. The High-level Panel presented recommendations for the reform of the work of the United Nations in the field (so-called System-Wide Coherence), within which unification of several programmes and funds is proposed. Further discussion on many commitments will be required, including Security Council enlargement and revitalisation of the General Assembly.

Important events

The Summit Meeting on HIV/AIDS was held in New York from 31 May to 2 June 2006 and adopted a political declaration with a commitment to fully realise the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS Global Crisis – Global Action and internationally agreed objectives, including the development goals of the Millennium Declaration.

A general discussion entitled Developing a Global Partnership for Development was held at the UN General Assembly from 19 to 27 September. In their statements, countries outlined the need for the timely fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals, shaping of the new UN bodies, the adoption of a general convention on the fight against terrorism, continuation of discussion on disarmament, and UN reform, especially the reform of management of the Security Council, Economic and Social Council and General Assembly. Close attention was paid to resolving armed conflicts, particularly in the Middle East and Darfur, as well as the realisation of the "responsibility to protect" principle and facing global challenges, along with environmental protection, climate change, HIV/AIDS and other contagious diseases, migration and encouraging dialogue between civilisations.

Slovenia's Activities

In the general debate at the 61st General Assembly session, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel focused on the importance and role of small countries in the international multilateral environment. On the margins of the general debate, he met with several foreign ministers and hosted a ministerial meeting of the Human Security Network, which was chaired by Slovenia from May 2006 to May 2007.

In June, Slovenia took over the one-year Chairmanship of the Human Security Network. As Chair, it sent a letter of support to the Chair of the Security Council Working Group for Children and Armed Conflict. It took part in the open debates of the UN Security Council on civilians in armed conflict, children and armed conflict, women, peace and security, and within the Third Committee of the General Assembly in support of Prof. Pinheiro's study on violence against children. It also took part with a joint statement in the first session of the Human Security Council in Geneva, at the UN Review Conference on illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in New York, the international conference on AIDS in Toronto and the plenary session of the States Parties to the Ottawa Convention in Geneva. On the margins of the 61st General Assembly session, Foreign Minister Rupel hosted a ministerial meeting of the Human Rights Network in support of the Network’s contribution to the High-level Panel related to the Alliance of Civilizations initiative on education for human rights. In Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia organised a meeting of high HSN officials on the margins of an international conference on the prevention of violence against children and human security. The meeting constituted preparation for the HSN ministerial meeting at the end of Slovenia's Chairmanship in May 2007.

In support of the Alliance of Civilizations, Slovenia took part in the meeting of the group of supporters of the initiative, submitted its contribution to the High-level Panel and made a voluntary contribution to the Fund.

Within the Trilateral forum (partnership between governments, UN system and civil society) on interreligious cooperation for peace, Slovenia – as the only EU Member State – took part in the ministerial meeting on 21 September, which adopted a ministerial statement on interreligious cooperation for peace.

Peacekeeping operations

The United Nations indirectly conduct 18 peacekeeping operations: 8 in Africa; 3 in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania; and 1 in the Caribbean. Slovenia is participating in the UNMIK mission in Kosovo with 15 policemen. Two officers of the Slovenian Armed Forces work as observers at UNTSO. In December 2006, 12 members of the Slovenian Armed Forces were sent to UNIFIL within the Italian contingent.

SFRY succession issues

Within the Fifth Committee, Slovenia advocated tackling the issue of the former SFRY’s debt to the UN, whereby it reached a consensus of SFRY successor states to present a common proposal for a solution. The discussion on the successor states’ proposal will continue at the next General Assembly session.

Membership fees and voluntary contributions

As at 31 December 2006, Slovenia had met all financial obligations to the UN for 2006, including the budget, contribution for the refurbishment of the Secretariat (Capital Master Plan), the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and peacekeeping operations.

Slovenia made voluntary contributions to the activities of UNICEF, UNRWA, UNDP, UNIFEM, UNFPA, UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, Democracy Fund, OCHA, Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Victims Trust Fund of the International Criminal Court and the Alliance of Civilizations initiative.

Candidature and election

In 2006, elections to UN bodies (the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council), elections to subsidiary organs of the General Assembly (Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, International Civil Service Commission, Joint Inspection Unit, United Nations Administrative Tribunal and United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board), elections to the Human Rights Council and Peacebuilding Commission, and elections to certain bodies under international conventions were held: Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), where a candidate from Slovenia, Violeta Neubauer, was elected to the Committee for the period 2007–2011; Human Rights Council; and International Law Commission, where Slovenia’s candidate, Ernest Petrič, was elected for the period 2007–2011.

National reports

In 2006, Slovenia submitted the following national reports to the UN: in March 2006, the national report on the implementation of effective measures to enhance the protection and security of diplomatic and consular missions and their representatives in accordance with A/RES/59/37; in May 2006, the report on the implementation of additional measures to fight against international terrorism pursuant to SCR1624(2005); in August 2006, the 4th periodic national report on the implementation of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Signing and ratification of international treaties, establishment of diplomatic relations

In 2006, Slovenia signed or deposited instruments of ratification of the following agreements with the UN Secretary-General:

• Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes (deposition of the instrument of ratification on 5 January 2006)

• Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin, the Protocol on the Navigation Regime to the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin and the Agreement Amending the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin and the Protocol on the Navigation Regime to the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (registration on 21 April 2006)

• Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on the Promotion and Protection of Investment (registration on 28 April 2006)

• Treaty between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on Regulating Status and Other Legal Relations with regard to Investment in the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, its Exploitation and Decommissioning (registration on 1 May 2006)

• Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish (deposition of the instrument of ratification on 15 June 2006)

• Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (deposition of the instrument of ratification on 15 June 2006)

• Statement by the Republic of Slovenia under Item a, Paragraph 1 of Article 87 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (official notification on 27 June 2006)

• First, second and third amendments to the European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles engaged in International Road Transport – AETR (deposition of the instrument of ratification on 3 August 2006)

• Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on Mutual Protection of Classified Information (registration on 29 August 2006)

• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel (signing on 13 October 2006)

• Amendments to Paragraph 1 of Article 20 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (deposition of the instrument of ratification on 10 November 2006)

In 2006, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a decision on the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the work of the Permanent Representative at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme be transferred to the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Rome, and thus that a comprehensive and effective system of the foreign political representation of Slovenia be provided in international organisations, comparable to that of other EU Member States.

The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the UN signed six agreements on the establishment of diplomatic relations last year: with Niger (22 June), Uganda (31 August), Madagascar (5 October), Rwanda (8 December), Djibouti (14 December) and Myanmar (20 December 2006).

Visits by Slovenian representatives to the UN

• 31 May to 2 June – participation of State Secretary at the Ministry of Health Dorjan Marušič in the Summit on HIV/AIDS

• 14 and 15 September – participation of State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior Zvonko Zinrajh in the High-Level Dialogue of International Migration and Development

• 19 to 25 September – participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitrij Rupel in the 61st UN General Assembly Session

• 24 to 30 October – visit of the Chair to the IAEA Board of Governors, Ambassador Ernest Petrič

• from 26 to 30 June and from 27 November to 1 December – Ambassador Rudi Gabrovec dealt with the issue of SFRY’s debt to the UN and presented it to Fifth Committee of the General Assembly.