President Türk attends the 35th Anniversary of the International Centre for Promotion of Enterprises

Ljubljana, 8.11.2010  |  press release

President Dr Danilo Türk attended a ceremony organised on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the functioning of the International Centre for Promotion of Enterprises (ICPE). In his welcome address, the President said that thirty-five years ago, as a young lawyer, he had participated in drafting the Agreement on the ICPE Head Office in Slovenia, which, together with other documents, established a legal framework for the operation of this international centre.

He recalled that several international documents were created at that time, such as the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States and the Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order and its action plan. International conferences included lively debates on issues of the global economy and the world’s future. President Türk added that the then expectations with regard to public enterprises were high and they led to the creation of many projects on which ICPE worked.

He highlighted that subsequent turbulent changes had led the world to an epoch lauding the market economy and showing mistrust toward public enterprises. Despite the new circumstances, fundamental ideas concerning the quality management of companies, concerns about privatisation issues and the need for improvements in corporate management remained current topics in both private and public sectors. According to the President, the importance of ICPE has thus never diminished, despite the prevailing global trends.

President Türk added that, in today's market economy characterized by globalisation processes, the public sector has managed to retain its role. This, in turn, has provided space for public enterprises, including the need for ever higher quality of management and administration of public enterprises. At the close of his address, Dr Türk expressed his belief that ICPE can also be successful in the new global environment marked by the emergence of new influential economies and the important role of the economically integrated European Union.