Support activities of the Republic of Slovenia for Palestine

In addition to its political efforts, Slovenia has provided both financial and humanitarian support to the civilian population. This was done primarily through the UN agency system, with an emphasis on UNRWA, which provides support to Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East region.

Recognition of Palestine

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia initiated the procedures for the recognition of Palestine on 9 May 2024, thereby taking a decisive and irreversible step in this process. On 27 May 2024, the Prime Minister announced that he placed a decision to forward recognition of Palestine to the National Assembly on the agenda of the next Government session. On 30 May 2024, the Government adopted a draft resolution recognising Palestine as an independent and sovereign state and submitted it to the National Assembly for approval. At an extraordinary session on June 4, 2024, the National Assembly passed a decision recognising the independent and sovereign State of Palestine with 52 votes in favour and none against. Slovenia thus became the 147th member of the United Nations to recognise the State of Palestine.

Initiatives and support within the European Council

At regular and extraordinary meetings of the European Council, the Prime Minister has consistently advocated the Republic of Slovenia’s clear positions:

• At the extraordinary meeting of the European Council in October 2023, he emphasised that Europe must stand united and resolute in its commitment to de-escalate the situation and prevent an even greater humanitarian catastrophe.
• On the margins of the March 2024 European Council meeting, the prime ministers of Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, and Malta issued a joint statement on the situation in Gaza and the Middle East.
• In October 2024, the day before the European Council meeting in Brussels, Prime Minister Golob also attended the first summit between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Brussels, where leaders discussed the situation in Gaza.

The Prime Minister's bilateral meetings

In 2023 and 2024, the Prime Minister held numerous talks with leaders and representatives of various countries, with whom he discussed the situation in Gaza:

• in December 2023, the Prime Minister met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. After the meeting, he expressed his satisfaction with the shared support for the United Nations resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
• In February 2024, the Prime Minister participated in the 60th Munich Security Conference, where he met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss the situation in Palestine. In his conversation with Secretary-General Guterres, the Prime Minister expressed strong support for the work of the United Nations, while the Secretary-General praised Slovenia's exceptional role in the UN Security Council.
• On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Prime Minister Golob also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan, with whom he called for an immediate ceasefire and adequate humanitarian aid in Gaza. He also discussed the situation in Gaza with Mirjana Spoljarić Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross; Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees; and Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA.
• After the Munich Security Conference, Prime Minister Golob welcomed Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to Slovenia for a follow-up to his earlier talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan.
• In May 2024, Prime Minister Robert Golob paid an official visit to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. Prime Minister Golob and Algerian President Tebboune touched upon the situation in Gaza and agreed that freedom is a fundamental value that must always be defended in the international community, including when it comes to the right to self-determination. At the end of the month, the Prime Minister announced that he placed a decision to forward recognition of Palestine to the National Assembly on the agenda of the next Government session.
• In June 2024, during an international conference in Jordan, Prime Minister Golob met with Secretary-General Guterres, President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
• Prime Minister Golob also addressed the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza in February 2024, when he met with Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay. UNESCO is primarily active through the UNRWA.
• At a meeting with Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in February 2024, the Prime Minister and his counterpart focused on the war in Gaza. Minister Shourky expressed strong support for Slovenia's principled position on the Middle East and expressed his desire to continue close cooperation within the UN framework. He spoke to the Prime Minister about the formation of a Palestinian technocratic government and informed him of the current situation, particularly with regard to the issue of the displacement of Palestinian civilians from Gaza. Prime Minister Golob and Minister Shoukry agreed that the UNRWA's assistance is crucial and that there is no alternative to the UNRWA. They expressed strong support for the two-state solution as the only viable solution to the Middle East peace issue.
• In May 2024, Prime Minister Robert Golob meet with Qu Donyu, Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). In their conversation, Prime Minister Golob highlighted the difficult and alarming wartime conditions in which the people of Gaza are currently living. Director-General Qu Dongyu thanked the Prime Minister for Slovenia's efforts as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council to help other countries and for its extraordinary solidarity. He added that the FAO, as a professional and apolitical organisation, is doing all it can to help resolve the food crisis in Gaza and in other war zones, noting the importance of the right to food.

Joint statements by like-minded countries

• On the margins of the March 2024 European Council meeting, the prime ministers of Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, and Malta issued a joint statement on the situation in Gaza and the Middle East.
• In April 2024, Prime Minister Golob hosted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, with whom he discussed the war in Gaza and the issue of recognising Palestine. The leaders agreed on further cooperation.
• In October 2024, the Prime Minister attended a summit of the Mediterranean EU countries – MED9, in Paphos, Cyprus. The leaders also discussed the situation in the Middle East and called for peace in the Middle East.

International conferences and forums in support of Palestine

Prime Minister Golob attended two international conferences in his efforts to support Palestine:

• In November 2023, the Prime Minister attended an international humanitarian conference on aid to the civilian population in Gaza, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
• In June 2024, the Prime Minister attended the international conference "Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" in Jordan, hosted by the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.

Humanitarian initiatives and Slovenia's role (URI Soča, humanitarian aid)

• Slovenia has already sent several shipments of material aid (food, medical and sanitary equipment) to Gaza as a concrete gesture of solidarity.
• On the margins of international conference in Jordan, the Prime Minister met with Egyptian President al-Sisi, who expressed his deep appreciation to Prime Minister Golob for his determination and courage in recognising Palestine. They also discussed the revival of the project for the rehabilitation of children from Gaza.
• In October, Prime Minister Robert Golob, together with UNRWA Secretary-General Lazzarini, visited the University Rehabilitation Institute Soča (URI Soča), where 10 children and adolescents from Gaza are undergoing rehabilitation.

Direct financial resources – UNRWA – EUR 2.5 million and ongoing support to the organisation

Slovenia provided humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza very quickly, and on 8 November 2023, the Government approved an additional EUR 1 million in aid, thereby doubling its contribution to Palestine.

At a meeting with Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in February 2024, the Prime Minister and his counterpart focused on the war in Gaza. Minister Shourky expressed strong support for Slovenia's principled position on the Middle East and expressed his desire to continue close cooperation within the UN framework. Prime Minister Golob and Minister Shoukry agreed that the UNRWA's assistance is crucial and that there is no alternative to the UNRWA. They expressed strong support for the two-state solution as the only viable solution to the Middle East peace issue.
During the Prime Minister's meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, a follow-up to Mr Golob's talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the Foreign Minister reiterated his gratitude to Slovenia for its balanced and peaceful positions in accordance with the principles of international law. He also praised Slovenia's role in the European Union and the UN Security Council, and thanked the UNRWA for its support. On 23 February 23 2024, the Government sent material aid intended for Gaza from Ljubljana's Jože Pučnik Airport to Jordan. The Prime Minister emphasised that this was an important step demonstrating Slovenia's active role in the international community.
When attending the international conference "Call to Action: The Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza", which took place in Jordan in June 2024, the Prime Minister announced that the Slovenian Government decided to commit an additional EUR 2.5 million through various UN programmes to provide immediate humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people. This was a continuation of Slovenia’s concrete efforts to mitigate the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, as Prime Minister Golob had vowed after the adoption of the decision to recognise the State of Palestine. In his talks with UNRWA Secretary-General Lazzarini at the conference in Jordan, Prime Minister Golob assured him that Slovenia had allocated an additional EUR 1 million in aid to the UNRWA on the day of the conference and become actively involved in developing educational programmes to bring more than 600,000 Palestinian children new hope for a better future. On the sidelines of the conference, President Abbas thanked Slovenia for recognising Palestine as a sovereign and independent state.

Slovenia – a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and UN General Assembly

• At a meeting of Slovenian diplomats in January 2024, Prime Minister Golob said that Slovenia, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, would focus on the pursuit of lasting global peace, with a particular emphasis on peace in the Middle East.
• Upon the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution in March 2024 calling for an immediate ceasefire, the Prime Minister stressed that Slovenia remains committed to playing a constructive and unifying role in the UN Security Council.
• At the international conference in Jordan in June 2024, Secretary-General Guterres expressed great satisfaction and praised Slovenia for its active role in the UN Security Council. According to the Secretary-General, Slovenia’s voice in New York was indispensable, widely heard and taken into account on the most challenging and sensitive issues related to the resolution of the conflict in the Middle East.
• Slovenia played an important role at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, where the Prime Minister called for an end to the attacks on Gaza in his speech at the Summit for the Future. As the keynote speaker at the Save the Children event, Prime Minister Golob highlighted the invaluable work of UNRWA and other UN agencies and their dedication despite the heavy sacrifices made by their staff. During Slovenia's presidency of the UN Security Council, in September 2024, the Prime Minister also led a discussion at the main event – Leadership for Peace, which focused on the Security Council’s actions on three foreign policy issues: Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan. A day later, he addressed the UN General Assembly and again called for an end to the war. He also chaired the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue.