UN Security Council polarised, hears debate about Slovenia's membership
Ljubljana, 13 October - A round table debate discussed Thursday evening Slovenia's upcoming non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council in 2024 and 2025, with the country's first UN ambassador and former President Danilo Türk underlining that the world as well as the Security Council were polarised but by no means paralysed.
Ljubljana
Former President Danilo Türk (left), Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon (centre) taking part in a debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
Ljubljana
A debate about Slovenia's upcoming membership on the UN Security Council.
Photo:Anže Malovrh/STA
This position was also voiced by Samuel Žbogar, who has been named Slovenia's representative to the Security Council. Participating via video link from New York, Žbogar said his team was ready for the membership period to begin.
Talking about the tasks still coming up before the membership starts on 1 January, Žbogar listed a number of training sessions and meetings, which Slovenia is already sitting on after having acquired observer status a few weeks ago.
Türk said that there is always great significance attached to UN Security Council membership and underlined that the world is much changed from when Slovenia was a non-permanent member for the first time in 25 years ago. The world is no longer uni-polar but multipolar, he said.
The Security Council is made up of 15 countries and the fact that the five permanent members hold the right to veto regularly leads to blockage of various decisions regarding international security, he noted. The Security Council is polarised but not paralysed, Türk said in a nod to what is also Žbogar's position.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said she is beginning to feel the responsibility Slovenia is taking on.
She said the country had created new contacts with a number of countries during the membership campaign, with Türk adding that Slovenia had also created expectations in this sense.
He said the challenge ahead for Slovenia means that the country will have to get used to using its own head after having been used to the comfort of being an EU and NATO member, "more or less automatically accepting everything that happened in these big organisations".