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SLOVENIA'S SOCIETY AND STATE ARE PROVING ALERT TO INFRINGEMENTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS
The International Council of Amnesty International in Ljubljana
Address by the President of the Republic Milan Kucan
Ljubljana, 12 August 1995
"The Slovenian section of Amnesty International, the first of its kind anywhere in central or Eastern Europe, as well as other civil movements, are becoming an authoritative and needed moral corrective to the conduct of organs of state", pointed out president Kucan at the 22nd meeting of the International Council of the Amnesty International in Ljubljana.
"In keeping with the principle of separation of powers Slovenia has an independent judiciary with independent judges. The country also has a human rights ombudsman. The Slovenian parliament has ratified the European Convention of Human Rights with all its protocols, providing legal recourse to the European Commission of Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights, and state bodies and officials are bound to observe the principles of constitutionality and legality and specifically to respect human rights. And yet public control of their functioning is from this perspective the most reliable safeguard against the temptation to interfere with human rights and freedoms."
I am honoured to be able to welcome the members of the International Council of Amnesty International to Ljubljana, and would like to express my great pleasure that the Slovenian capital has been chosen as the venue for a meeting of this prestigious international organisation - an organisation that came into being out of a need to strengthen awareness of the significance of the protection and respect of human rights and which has done more than anyone to publicise the actual state of affairs. I would like to think that the choice of venue is an acknowledgement of Slovenia's high degree of respect for human dignity and protection of human rights and freedoms.
Let me add straight away that no society is invulnerable to violations of human rights. The tension between the individual and his or her freedom and the inclination of the state, and specifically of its repressive apparatus, to subordinate the individual and place limits on that freedom in the name of higher goals, be they national, ideological, religious, political or other, is a matter for sensitive treatment and regulation in any society. No country on earth can claim to have done everything to ensure that individuals should not be restricted in their basic freedom to express the truth as they see it according to their conscience, even where this is not to the liking of the authorities, being at odds with or flatly opposed to them or to the version of the truth which they propound. It is safe to say that so long as there is power there will also be a temptation to interfere with human rights and a concomitant need for civil organisations and movements, to draw attention to infringements of human rights by the state and to respond to them with all the force of moral authority.
Slovenia is social state governed by the rule of law which indisputably ensures a high degree of human dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and especially legal protection. That does not mean, of course, that infringements of human rights do not occur in practice even here. But more importantly in my view, Slovenia's society and state are proving alert in their response to such infringements. The Slovenian section of Amnesty International, the first of its kind anywhere in central or Eastern Europe, as well as other civil movements, are becoming an authoritative and needed moral corrective to the conduct of organs of state. In keeping with the principle of separation of powers Slovenia has an independent judiciary with independent judges. The country also has a human rights ombudsman. The Slovenian parliament has ratified the European Convention of Human Rights with all its protocols, providing legal recourse to the European Commission of Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights, and state bodies and officials are bound to observe the principles of constitutionality and legality and specifically to respect human rights. And yet public control of their functioning is from this perspective the most reliable safeguard against the temptation to interfere with human rights and freedoms.
This year Slovenia celebrated four years of independent existence as the state of the Slovenian nation and Slovenian citizens. In proclaiming statehood it set itself very high standards to regulate its existence. It undertook to abide by all the principles of international law and, in accordance with the principle of legal succession, by the provisions of all the international agreements signed by the former federal state which apply to Slovenia. As a participant in the shaping of European history and European spiritual traditions Slovenia confirms its attachment and fidelity to the latter's noblest values. We therefore reject all violence and intolerance between people, nations and countries, including the nations with which we once shared a common state. After four years of tribulations and intense efforts required to establish a new state, carry out political, economic and social reforms and secure a place within the international community, we can safely say that Slovenia has remained true to the requirements it took upon itself on attaining independence. Today Slovenia is an internationally recognised country which has had in the past, has today and, we believe, will continue to have friends. May I also say that I believe your meeting, which I have the honour of welcoming today, will contribute further to the respect and standing this country enjoys.
Now that we have secured our independent existence, now that new state institutions are functioning, now that a competitive market economy is being established and social prosperity and security are being assured on new economic foundations and in new political conditions, questions of the values which give meaning to everything in our lives are coming to the fore. The basic value which this society embraces and which guides our common hope and faith is a respect for the uniqueness of the human individual, for human life, dignity, rights and freedoms. Parliamentary democracy, civil society and the rule of law, the market economy, social justice and civil solidarity - all the fruits of European civilisation which are now being nurtured in Slovenian society proceed from and serve this basic value. The rule of law is clearly crucial to the maintenance of human rights. And yet I firmly believe that its affirmation is inextricably tied to ensuring the social security of citizens. Egotism, political elitism, social inequality, poverty and hopelessness breed aggressive nationalism, xenophobia and all kinds of extremism which call for the suppression of the rights of others and above all deny people the right to differ and serve to justify intolerance towards those who hold contrary views and are different. The tragic events in Bosnia, Serbia and elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia are ample warning of the dire consequences of such policies and attitudes. Civil society along with its movements and institutions has proved indispensable in raising awareness and encouraging people to participate of their own accord and take action for the sake of their fellow citizens. Of all the non-governmental organisations which have long been supporting the cause of the protection of people and human rights to great effect, your organisation has earned particular prominence and distinction. Today's world, although no longer polarised ideologically and politically, is nevertheless often insensitive and prepared to tolerate even blatant breaches of individual and collective rights, hence the need for organisations such as your own. Your presence is therefore welcomed and desired in this country as elsewhere. May I therefore end these words of welcome by wishing you successful work and an enjoyable stay in Slovenia.
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