President calls for better sharing of experience gained through participation in peacekeeping missions

Ljubljana, 1.6.2009  |  press release

The President of Slovenia and Commander-in-Chief of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Dr Danilo Türk, today received members of the Slovenian Armed Forces and Police, as well as civil experts, members of missions and peacekeeping operations in 2008 and 2009. The reception was also attended by the Minister of the Interior, Katarina Kresal; the Minister of Defence, Dr Ljubica Jelu¹iè; the State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dragoljuba Benèina; the Chief of the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Major General Alojz ©teiner; and the Acting Director-General of the Police, Janko Gor¹ek.

In his address, Dr Türk pointed out that peacekeeping operations have a long, noble and honourable tradition. If the first peacekeeping operations of the international community after the Second World War were dedicated particularly to maintaining the armistice and mainly to military tasks, their tasks today have become broader and more complex. As stressed by the President, there are 18 peacekeeping operations underway in the United Nations at the same time, in which around 113,000 members are participating. Their tasks include not only maintaining peace and ensuring security for the necessary political processes of post-war stabilisation, but also humanitarian aid, support for ensuring conditions for carrying out elections, support for building democratic institutions ensuring the rule of law and other tasks. In the President’s opinion, the participation of the civil police force plays an increasingly important role, especially in operations that continue over a longer period and have more specific tasks of ensuring comprehensive development towards a stable political situation and stable state institutions.

The President also referred to the words of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who paid special attention to the need for enlargement and diversification of participation and to the increasing importance of members of peacekeeping operations. He pointed out the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, laying down the increasingly significant role of women in providing the most sensitive functions of peacekeeping operations in the police and military fields. President Türk pointed out that Slovenia is also aware of the position of women and their role in establishing systems in the area of security and the police contribution to stability.

Dr Türk further underlined that we have to think comprehensively about the focus and specialisation of our participation in peacekeeping operations and, within this framework, derive more thoughtful considerations and find the proper orientation for the future. He added that we must understand peacekeeping operations as one of the most important aspects of placing armed forces and involving police forces in current circumstances in the world.

After his address, the President called for the establishment of a civil society organisation within the framework of which members of peacekeeping operations would participate, exchange their experience and help develop a participation culture in such operations in the future. He also expressed satisfaction with better integration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Defence, which demonstrates that the Government is acting more coherently than ever before in regard to peacekeeping missions.

President Türk emphasised that Slovenia gained experience in peacekeeping operations even prior to independence. Therefore, he again proposed a civil society organisation which could transfer experience in this area from the previous system into the contemporary conditions and contribute to greater understanding and development of peacekeeping operations. In closing, the President thanked all the members of peacekeeping operations for their contribution, work, efforts and experience, and wished them every success in the future.