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The President Participates in the Debate on the United Nations and Global Governance

New York, 28.6.2011  |  press release


The President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Danilo Türk gives the key-note speech at the opening of the thematic debate on the United Nations in Global Governance (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)On the second day of his working visit to New York, the President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Danilo Türk attended the opening of the thematic debate on the United Nations in Global Governance, where he gave the key-note speech. Later the President participated in the first panel discussion entitled “Economic Global Governance: From Rapid Response to Medium and Long-Term Planning” and the working lunch for participants in the discussion on global governance.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Danilo Türk gives the key-note speech at the opening of the thematic debate on the United Nations in Global Governance (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)In his key-note speech at the panel discussion on global governance, the President emphasised that the United Nations Organisation has been an indispensable forum for global governance since its inception and that it to this day remains a major forum for collective political discussion and policy-making. The world, which faces increasingly complex and interrelated challenges, needs improvement of the international system, said the President, who particularly stressed the areas of international security, global development, and the protection of the natural environment and human rights.

He also recalled that the World Economic Forum highlighted economic disparity and a global governance failure as two of the most threatening global risks. However, he drew the attention to the fact that global governance cannot be separated from the reality of nation states, their policies and needs. He added that states should consider both their national agendas as well as their international responsibilities, as they are, collectively, custodians of our common life on this planet, which the citizens of all countries share.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Danilo Türk gives the key-note speech at the opening of the thematic debate on the United Nations in Global Governance (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)The United Nations System as a whole should adjust and reform internally, and should also develop effective partnerships with other international mechanisms, regional organizations, business communities and civil society groups. President Türk summarised the priority tasks of the United Nations in "four R's", which include Rebalancing the UN Security Council, Refocusing the UN General Assembly, Recalibrating the UN Economic and Social Council and Reinforcing the UN Human Rights Council.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Danilo Türk meets the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)In the afternoon (local time), President Türk met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The President thanked the Secretary-General for his attendance at Monday's reception on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Republic of Slovenia's independence, while the Secretary General thanked the Slovenian President for his opening address and participation in the discussion on global governance.

Both addressed several topical international issues, including the conditions in the Western Balkans, paying special attention to Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also spoke of the Near East peace process, both agreeing that the time to resolve this problem has come and expressing their support to the solution which would finally enable Palestinians to establish their own state. President Türk pledged for the UN to play as active role as possible in this process.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Danilo Türk meets the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)President Türk informed Ban Ki-moon of the increasingly alarming information coming from Sudan which shows that the situation in some parts of the country is dangerously aggravating and that atrocities are being committed against the civilian population, particularly in the area of the Nuba Mountains. They also spoke of conditions in Libya and the UN Secretary-General said that due to contradictory information it is difficult to objectively see what is going on in the country.

Both speakers assessed activities of the United Nations Organisation and the efforts for its reforming, particularly in the direction of improving decision-making processes. The UN Secretary-General informed the Slovenian President of his own initiatives in the area of environment protection on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which was held in v Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. Finally, Ban Ki-moon thanked President Türk for Slovenia's support in the elections for his second term as UN Secretary-General and pointed out that the Slovenian President was the first head of state he met after his re-election.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Danilo Türk awards Bogdan Grom with the Order for Merits (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)In the premises of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations, President Türk then awarded the Order for Merits to the painter, illustrator, graphic artist and sculptor Bogdan Grom for his rich creative opus, with which he at all times performed his mission as an Ambassador of Excellence and Distinction of Slovenian culture. At the awarding of the Order, the President emphasised Grom's substantial contribution to connecting Slovenia and Trieste, to establishing cross-Atlantic connections and to connecting the secular and the spiritual essences of human existence.

On Wednesday afternoon (local time), President Türk also met a group of ambassadors of Asian and African countries with whom he discussed the candidacy of the Republic of Slovenia for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council during 2012–2013 and some other topical international issues.
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