Slovenia

2015: Attended the state consultations on the SSD in Geneva – led by Norway.

Advocacy meetings in 2015 and 2016 in Geneva. Endorsed in May 2016, has implementation plans: integrate Guidelines in revised IHL manual and in pre-deployment trainings for pacekeepers; integrate the Guidelines in Law Faculty international moot court competition (awareness raising).

April 2016: Geneva confirmed the decision to endorse, but also revealed interesting plans for implementation: 1) integration of the Guidelines into an IHL manual which is currently being drafted; 2) integration of the Guidelines in pre-deployment trainings for international operations; 3) integration of the Guidelines in an upcoming international moot court exercise organized by the Law Faculty of Ljubljana (as part of an awareness-raising effort). They will consider formulating a specific commitment at the WHS outlining those plans.

August 2016: Outreach letter sent in advance of CAAC Open Debate: “Millions of children continue to be caught in the middle of armed conflicts, not only as bystanders but as recruits or as targets of multiple acts of violence, such as attacks against schools and hospitals, abduction, mutilation and sexual abuse, as well as the use of hunger, disease and exploitation as tools of war. We also note with concern that, according to the latest report of the Secretary General, attacks on schools and hospitals and related personnel were prevalent in 2015, which demands our immediate and collective attention. In that regard, we call for the implementation of resolution 2143 (2014), which contains important provisions to ensure and protect the right of education for children.” “Slovenia has been concerned by the attacks against schools and hospitals. In April 2016, we expressed support for the Oslo Safe Schools Declaration and the Lucens Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict. We encourage other countries that have not yet done so to support and implement the Guidelines. We believe that education presents an important element of the psychosocial rehabilitation of children affected by armed conflict.”

March 2017: Attended Buenos Aires Conference on Safe Schools, at local Ambassador level.

April 2017: Attended post-conference briefing for missions in New York.

September 2017: GCPEA sent a letter to the ambassador in New York asking to raise the issue on attacks and military use, draw attention to the Declaration and the Guidelines during the Open Debate on children and armed conflict.

July 2018: UNSC Open Debate on children and armed conflict: 1) Joined Argentina’s joint statement to the UN SC during the open debate on children and armed conflict. 2) Mentioned and welcomed the Safe Schools Declaration during the statement to the SC. 3)also joined the statement of Canada on behalf of the GoF which mentioned the Safe Schools Declaration.

March 2019: Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the SRSG CAAC Virginia Gamba, HRC Geneva: joined Norway’s joint statement on the Safe Schools Declaration.

May 2021: The representative reiterated that the safe schools’ agenda is a priority for her government and the EU in general, referring to the recent child’s rights policy. She showed interest in peer-to-peer advocacy work on the three remaining EU non-endorsing states. Slovenia is taking the Presidency of the EU COHAFA in July. She agreed to keep in touch about a potential follow-up GCPEA briefing to COHAFA.

October 2021: cosponsored UNSRC2601.

April 2022: HRC Special session on Ukraine “- Concerned about women, children and attacks on hospitals and schools ”

July 2022: At the UNSC CAAC debate :
– Deeply concerned by abductions of children in armed conflict and condemns attacks on schools
– Despite efforts, attacks on schools continue in many parts around the world, the Safe Schools declaration is an important tool to protect schools against attacks. Schools must remain safe places for children. Call on all those who haven’t done so already to join the Safe Schools Declaration.

Slovenia is co-chair of the GoF on Childrens’ Rights in Geneva (together with Germany).

August 2022: Nevena and Apolline met with Sabina Carli, Attache at the PM in Geneva. Slovenia is running for the UNSC in 2024-2025. She explained that the CAAC agenda would continue to be a priority for them at the Council, should they be elected. We spoke about implementation of the SSD and reminded Slovenia about its intention to update its military manuals and doctrines to include the Guidelines. She said that she would check with her colleagues at the MoD to see if there had been progress on this issue and perhaps other developments since. She also mentioned Slovenia’s new NAP on WPS, which is currently being drafted. We explained that Italy included SSD language in its own plan, which the representative found very interesting. We shared with her Italy’s example of good practice, recommending that Slovenia adopt similar language. We also discussed the upcoming TES and shared GCPEA’s recommendations.

November 2022: Endorsed the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA) on 18 November during an International Conference hosted by Ireland, the leader and penholder behind the Declaration.

March 2023: During ID with SRSG CAAC, national statement: – We strongly support the Safe Schools Declaration and call on other states to do the same

February 2024: On 22 February, Ilaria met with Katarina Salaj, Second Secretary at the Geneva mission, covering the child rights portfolio (started a couple of months ago). Together with Germany, Slovenia coordinates the group of friends of children’s rights in Geneva. Children’s rights in general and CAAC in particular are key priorities for Slovenia. They are active members of the CAAC group of friends and they want to be active members of the SSD core group too, in order to strengthen strategic linkages between the 3 groups. We put them in touch with the champions to join the core group. They are willing to coordinate closely around advancing language in HRC resolutions as well as work at the Security Council level, as the mission here has a good coordination the PM in NY. They are interested in EUA launch.