THE MILLENNIUM SUMMIT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE UN

Ljubljana, 8 September 2000


“The world today is different from the world in which the UN was created. The antagonisms of that world have been replaced by new ones. The UN and its structure are still not adapted to today's world. It still lives in the world it was created in. Referring to the Founding Charter is not sufficient for the UN to reform and adapt to modern times. There is also the problem of decision-making in the launching of peacekeeping operations. The relationship between human rights and national sovereignty is not defined, the interests of individual states influence decisions”, said President Kucan in a statement to the press, estimating that that the Millennium Summit is an organised opportunity for the UN to face the truth about itself and about the modern world. In his opinion the Final Declaration of the Summit has its value, for it confirms the UN principles and attempts to position them in present time.

As part of the Summit at UN headquarters in New York the Slovenian President also took part in a round table on the challenges of the 21st century, chaired by the Prime Minister of Singapore, Goh Chok Toh. In the discussion, attended by leaders from 40 countries, President Kuèan mainly emphasised the significance of knowledge in the processes of globalisation, which also pose certain threats. He referred to the section of the final document of the Millennium Summit that discusses the need for solidarity and the right of the poor to expect aid from the rich. In accordance with the Chinese saying that you help a poor man by teaching him how to catch a fish, the President underlined that the answer to the negative consequences of globalisation lies in access to knowledge and information through new technology. “The gap between those that possess knowledge and those that do not is creating a bipolar society that could lead to new conflicts. The globalisation of education systems will therefore become a paramount topic for humanity in the future. The entire UN, not only Unesco, should be concerned with equal access to education”, President Kucan believes.

In the presence of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, who is also the Secretary General of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Forms of Intolerance, President Kucan signed the Tolerance and Difference declaration and the optional protocols to the Children's Rights Convention and the Convention on Children in Armed Conflict.

President Kucan attended several receptions organised during the Summit, including receptions hosted by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the Summit Chairperson Tarja Halonen, a reception hosted by US President Bill Clinton and a francophone countries reception.