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Slovenia in favour of the global declaration of the right to a healthy environment at the regular session of the UN Human Rights Council

  • Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The 48th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) is taking place in Geneva between 13 September and 8 October 2021. At the meeting, Slovenia has been advocating a global proclamation of the right to a healthy environment. In its first substantive resolution on the subject of the elderly, Slovenia addresses the challenges of oldism and age discrimination. Minister of Education, Science and Sport Simona Kustec will also attend the event and draw attention to the importance of young people and education for human rights.
info graphic with blank world hall with invitation

48th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council | Author Svet Združenih narodov za človekove pravice

Slovenia has been attending the meeting in its capacity as chair of the Council of the EU and, and will, on behalf of the EU and its member states, actively engage in the initiatives on Burundi and climate change, directing particular attention towards ensuring an adequate mechanism for monitoring and reporting human rights violations in Afghanistan. At the same time, Slovenia will submit two resolutions in cooperation with like-minded countries. Slovenia actively supports the proclamation of the right to a healthy living environment at the global level and, together with Costa Rica, the Maldives, Morocco and Switzerland, is putting forward an initiative in the Council to achieve this goal. With increasing awareness of the importance of guaranteeing the human rights of older persons, Slovenia, together with Argentina and Brazil, will table a first substantive resolution on the subject of older persons, focusing on oldism and age discrimination.

In her speech on the first day of the session, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet drew particular attention to the impact of environmental and climate change on human rights. The session continues to focus on the human rights situation around the world, including Afghanistan, Burundi, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Belarus, Syria and Venezuela. The HRC will also address several initiatives in specific thematic areas.

So far, Slovenia has engaged in an interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner, an independent expert on the rights of the elderly, with the Special Rapporteur on water and sanitation, and in an interactive dialogue on the analytical report on the consideration of women’s and girls’ human rights in conflict and post-conflict situations.

On the 10th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, the Council will address the importance of human rights education and focus on the role of young people, both in teaching and in learning about human rights. Minister Simona Kustec will represent Slovenia in the panel discussion.