Director-General Rakovec at a round table on IHL in humanitarian crises

18. 11. 2025

Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

Dr Marko Rakovec, Director-General and Chief Legal Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, participated in a round table entitled Frontiers of Humanity: International Humanitarian Law in Contemporary Humanitarian Crises, which accompanied the exhibition Dialogues on Humanity. The event was organised by the Faculty of Law, Ljubljana University, in cooperation with the Embassy of Switzerland in Ljubljana.

generalni direktor med nastopom na panelu — Director-General Dr Marko Rakovec at the round table | Author Matic Poropatič

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Dr Rakovec highlighted Slovenia's numerous activities within the UN Security Council regarding the protection of civilians, particularly women and children, in contemporary armed conflicts, and its active involvement in the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law launched by the International Committee of the Red Cross. In light of the numerous violations of international humanitarian law, renewed political commitment by states to respect it fully is of key importance. He emphasised the importance of the Permanent Coordination Group for International Humanitarian Law, as well as the publication of Slovenia's first Voluntary Report on the Implementation and Dissemination of Knowledge of International Humanitarian Law.

Also in attendance at the round table were Vanja Svetec Leaney, Acting Secretary-General at the Ministry of Defence, Lieutenant Colonel Brett Warcholack, researcher and instructor at the International Institute for Humanitarian Law, UN Armed Forces, and Marjan Ghanbari, Programme Officer at UN Peacekeeping, Justice and Corrections Section.

The panellists emphasised the importance of strengthening respect for, and implementation of, international humanitarian law at both the international and national levels. This is particularly pertinent in the context of new forms of warfare in contemporary, protracted, complex and urbanised armed conflicts. To preserve the humanity and dignity of those affected by armed conflict, a global culture of respect for international humanitarian law must be established.