| On the margins of the Third World Climate Conference, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, met with Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations Organisation; Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation; Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation; Juan Somavía, Director-General of the International Labour Organisation; Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva; Prince Albert II of Monaco; and Francisco Santos Calderón, Vice-President of the Republic of Colombia. |
 | President Türk and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the need to achieve crucial progress in reaching a global agreement on measures aimed at preventing climate change. This issue will be the focal point of the 15th World Conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Copenhagen in December this year. They both agreed that contacts on an international level prior to the conference were of essential importance to achieving this goal. On this occasion, the UN Secretary-General thanked the Slovenian President for his contribution and active participation in the World Climate Conference. |
 | The issue of combating climate change was also in the forefront of President Türk’s discussion with the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation. Dr Türk and Mr Jarraud underlined that the European Union should not lose its impetus and orientation in taking the necessary action in this area. Secretary-General Jarraud pointed out that the Slovenian President's participation in the World Climate Conference also indicated that the EU Member States had seriously approached this issue. |
 | President Türk and the Director-General of the World Health Organisation discussed various topical health-related issues. They particularly highlighted the need to reform the public health system and adapt it to the needs of citizens. They also touched on the spread of the A(H1N1) virus and appropriate protection of the public from the viewpoint of both prevention and treatment and avoidance of serious complications from infections. Director-General Chan described the contribution of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency to the importance of the World Health Organisation as essential. |
 | The discussion with the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation was devoted to the question of finding a solution to the world economic crisis and measures to be taken in order to curb rising unemployment, which require a particularly sensitive approach by national governments. They both agreed that issues of encouraging economic growth and creating new jobs should be addressed simultaneously and with maximum efficiency. According to Director-General Somavía, the International Labour Organisation, which has the necessary knowledge and experience, could also contribute to achieving this goal. Dr Türk and Mr Somavía pointed out that a clear policy orientation and determined political leadership were essential to ensuring the appropriate social security level of the needy in this time of crisis. |
 | President Türk and the Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva, Sergei Ordzhonikidze, mostly discussed the role of Slovenia in the area, the situation in Kosovo, and reform of the United Nations and the Security Council as its highest body. |
 | The focus of the discussion between President Türk and Prince Albert II of Monaco was future cooperation on various projects in the Mediterranean region aimed at strengthening peace, development and cooperation in this area. They both agreed that small countries could also contribute to attaining these objectives. They cited the rehabilitation of Gaza children in Slovenia as a good example of such activities. |
 | The discussion with the Vice-President of Colombia highlighted in particular the need for continued world efforts to eliminate and remove anti-personnel mines in various parts of the globe. The Vice-President of Colombia, Francisco Santos Calderón, underlined Slovenia's outstanding achievements in this area in the past few years. For this reason he repeated his invitation to the Slovenian President to attend the Summit on a World Without Mines, which will be held in Cartagena, Colombia, at the end of this year, and thus significantly contribute to this event on a symbolic and substantive level. |