Slovenia at 58th session of UN Human Rights Council

SLOVENIA, April 4 - All Slovenia's initiatives were adopted unanimously: the resolution on the human rights of older persons, the resolution on women, diplomacy and human rights and the resolution on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

The session started from 24 February 2025 and was attended by State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič as part of the High-level Week.

Slovenia has achieved a major breakthrough on the rights of older persons. Together with Argentina, Brazil, the Philippines and the Gambia, it has tabled a resolution setting up an intergovernmental working group to create an international instrument to promote and protect the human rights of older persons. This will lay the foundation for comprehensive, systematic and sustainable protection of their rights at the global level. A legally binding instrument will clearly define the nature of older persons' rights and the obligations of States to protect them.

At the initiative of Slovenia and a broad cross-regional group of countries, a draft resolution entitled Women, Diplomacy and Human Rights was unanimously adopted in Geneva, which not only declared 24 June the annual International Day of Women in Diplomacy, but also paved the way for further strategic discussions on removing systemic barriers to women's equal participation in diplomacy and decision-making processes.

On environmental rights, a resolution on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (R2HE), this time focusing on the protection of the oceans, was adopted at the initiative of Slovenia, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Morocco and the Maldives. This is an important step in promoting environmental rights as an integral part of human rights.

Together with EU Member States, Slovenia has also tabled resolutions extending the mandates of the Special Rapporteurs to monitor the human rights situation in Myanmar, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Belarus. We also co-created a resolution on freedom of religion or belief.

As a member of the UN Security Council, Slovenia has drawn attention to the pressing human rights violations around the world, especially in the context of peace and security. Slovenia highlighted the situation in Ukraine, Russia, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Afghanistan, Myanmar, the DPRK, Syria, South Sudan, Iran, Belarus and Venezuela, and has consistently defended gender equality and high international standards on the rights of women and girls.

In the spirit of efforts towards a more just and inclusive future, this year's session featured Livia Zara Hauptman, President of the National Children's Parliament, who spoke on behalf of Slovenia at the Council's annual panel discussion on the rights of the child. She underlined that every child has the right to a decent standard of living and equal opportunities from an early age. She also pointed to the importance of universal access to quality education, care, protection and holistic support for all children.

Slovenia is an active observer at the UN Human Rights Council and a candidate for membership for the period 2026–2028. Through its interventions and other activities at Council meetings, Slovenia has demonstrated its readiness to play an even greater role in helping to shape international standards for the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.