Prime Minister Robert Golob: Strengthening resilience and civil defence is key to a safe environment

In his keynote speech, Prime Minister Golob highlighted the importance and understanding of resilience programmes and the role of strengthening civil defence. He began by recalling the optimism of the previous decade, when we were convinced that peace was eternal and that Europe was entirely safe. This was followed by the pandemic, after which the world seemed to be thrown off balance. Slovenia was then hit by a wildfire in the Karst region, followed by devastating floods a year later. "At that time, it became clear that the civil protection system, which brought together all stakeholders — the economy, local communities, the state and, above all, the community of people — had a single goal. It is unique, and the only possible response to major disasters and disasters," said the Prime Minister, adding that such a system is envied by the whole world.   

Prime Minister Golob continued by noting that this was also a time when the system of strengthening resilience against other disasters and wars was revived. "Alongside natural disasters, sadly, the world has seen new conflicts and wars break out. In Slovenia, the Ministry of Defence began the visionary task of developing a resilience programme against war too. This programme goes far beyond a narrow understanding of defence strategy as merely a security strategy – it encompasses the entire system and the whole country, and, most importantly, involves practically all citizens," said Prime Minister Golob.

The Slovenian concept of resilience had been developed well before the NATO summit in The Hague, according to the Prime Minister. He added that Slovenia had been able to establish its own defence, security and resilience strategy, along with its own plans for achieving these goals and presenting them to the international public and NATO.

"Strengthening resilience and civil defence is crucial if we want to live in a safe environment that promotes solidarity, cooperation, and mutual respect, with the single aim of building a better future for our nation. We must provide our children with the opportunity to live in a secure environment, where they can freely pursue their boldest dreams," said Prime Minister Golob.

He emphasised the importance of the entire concept of responsibility as something we live by every day, yet hope never to have to use. He also expressed his hope that the measures Slovenia is implementing would serve as an inspiration for the whole world in its efforts to achieve security.

Prime Minister Golob congratulated today's award recipients and thanked them for all their efforts.

Let us recall that, on 17 July last year, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia declared 28 September as Civil Defence Day. The date of 28 September 1990 marks the adoption of the Constitutional Act Implementing the Amendments XCVI and XCVII to the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia concerning people's defence, which granted the Executive Council of the Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia the power to regulate in detail the formulation of defence and defence development plans. 

Civil defence consists of measures taken by state authorities and the bodies of self-governing local communities for the purposes of wartime operations, economic and psychological defence and other non-military forms of defence performed by citizens, self-governing local communities, state authorities, companies, institutes and other organisations. In accordance with Article 3 of the Defence Act, alongside military defence, civil defence constitutes one of the two pillars of Slovenia's defence system. The military and civil defence of the state constitute a whole. As set out in the Civil Defence Strategy, the aim of civil defence is to support the Slovenian Armed Forces and the military defence of the state, while ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of authorities, as well as economic and other activities that are important for the defence, supply and the survival of the population.