Slovenia in Geneva
Geneva - the center of multilateralism
Multilateralism is becoming increasingly important due to the trend of globalization of contemporary challenges - conflicts, economic issues, climate change, epidemics and others. Effective multilateralism is aiming to address global and local challenges that are becoming increasingly complex. Science is extremely important in connecting the international community, especially in the age of new technologies that fundamentally change our society, close some gaps and open new dilemmas.
Human Rights
Respect, protection and fulfillment of human rights is one of the fundamental segments of Slovenian foreign policy. In the international community, Slovenia stands up for a progressive approach towards the field of human rights, leading to further codification of international human rights law (development of new standards), and at the same time supporting activities for their respect and implementation.
The UN Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, is the central human rights body of the United Nations, established by the UN General Assembly as its subsidiary body in 2006.
On 15 October 2025 Slovenia was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2026–2028 term, securing 176 votes in the UN General Assembly in New York.
Slovenia has been actively involved in the UN Human Rights Council since its establishment. During its previous memberships of the Council, from 2007 to 2010 and from 2016 to 2018, it demonstrated its commitment to protecting and promoting human rights. In 2018, Slovenia also chaired the Council.
During the 2026–2028 term, Slovenia will focus on its traditional priority areas, including gender equality, women's rights, human rights and the environment, rights of the child, rights of older persons, human rights education and rights of minorities.
Slovenia will continue to strive for a non-selective, objective and inclusive approach to ensuring the respect of human rights for all. It will promote the effective, objective and transparent work of the Council in responding to human rights violations around the world. Particular attention will be devoted to ensuring the universality and impartiality of the Council's mechanisms and special procedures, as well as the independence of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. At the same time, Slovenia will advocate for the strengthening of treaty bodies and ensure regular dialogue with states, non-governmental organisations and civil society.
Slovenia will assume its role as a member of the Council on 1 January 2026.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also operates in Geneva.
Humanitarian Affairs and Migration
Geneva is home to many UN agencies and international governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the humanitarian and social affairs, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Geneva also hosts one of the two headquarters of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an independent and private institution operating in crisis situations around the world. An important task of the ICRC is education on international humanitarian law (IHL) and the transfer of international IHL standards into national legislation. Slovenia concluded its first strategic partnership with the ICRC in 2023, which was renewed in September 2025 for an additional five-year period. Slovenia participates in the Global Initiative to Promote Adherence to International Humanitarian Law, and co-chairs Working Stream 4 on the protection of civilian infrastructure.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), together with the ICRC, organizes the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent every four years. In October 2024, the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent took place. Slovenia, together with Save the Children, Belgium, the ICRC, the IFRC, Morocco, Malta and Norway, co-organized a side event on Children and Armed Conflict, participated in an event on water and strengthening the resilience of local communities - moderated by former President of Slovenia Dr Danilo Türk - and actively engaged in the discussions and coordination of five resolutions.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has a mandate to lead and coordinate international activities to protect refugees and address refugee challenges around the world. Since 2016, the High Commissioner for Refugees has been Filippo Grandi, whose work is guided by five strategic priorities: protection, response, inclusion, empowerment and solutions. In December 2018, the UN General Assembly adopted the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), which provides for addressing refugee crises immediately as they arise through an inclusive approach. Slovenia actively participated in the Global Refugee Forum in December 2023, where it made numerous pledges, including the announcement of accession to the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness - a commitment fulfilled in 2025. Slovenia subsequently joined the Global Alliance to End Statelessness.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), led since 2023 by Director General Amy Pope, seeks to provide protection to people on the move, identify new solutions and support the development of additional pathways for regular migration through its primarily operational work. The Global Compact for Migration (GCM) was adopted at the Intergovernmental Conference in Morocco in December 2018, where it was supported by 164 states.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva, together with its office in New York, ensures the implementation and coordination of humanitarian activities worldwide, in cooperation with governments, institutions and non-governmental stakeholders. OCHA prepares the Global Humanitarian Overview each year. In 2025, a humanitarian reset process was launched under OCHA’s auspices - an initiative aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of the humanitarian system in light of rising needs and declining contributions.
Environment
Geneva is home to numerous multilateral environmental agreements. As one of the hubs of global environmental multilateralism, it plays an important role in shaping and implementing the global environmental and climate agenda. The triple planetary crisis - biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution - is one of the key horizontal cross-cutting issues for many Geneva-based institutions.
Since 2023, the Permanent Mission has been participating in the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), headquartered in Nairobi. UNEP is the leading global environmental authority, setting the global environmental agenda, promoting coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development, and serving as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The Permanent Mission actively participates in the Committee and its subcommittee, attends the annual subcommittee meetings, and every two years participates in the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), which adopts decisions on priorities for global environmental policy and international environmental governance.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) supports the development of meteorology, hydrology and related geophysical sciences and ensures the standardization of meteorological observations and measurements. The Permanent Mission cooperates with the WMO primarily on issues related to water resources, climate change, and regional cooperation in South-Eastern Europe on early warning and drought prevention. Slovenia has joined the WMO Water and Climate Coalition.
The Group of Friends on Water and Peace (GoF) was established in Geneva in 2016 to address issues related to water and peace, as well as the challenges and opportunities provided by water and water cooperation. The group supports the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace (GHLPWP). The Geneva Water Hub (GWH) serves as the GoF Secretariat. Slovenia has been chairing the group since January 2020.
Slovenia currently co-chairs the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. The 10th Meeting of the Parties took place in Slovenia in October 2024, marking the start of Slovenia’s chairmanship of the Convention for the 2024–2027 period.
Slovenia also participates in informal groups such as the Geneva Water Community, the Group of Friends of the Environment and Climate, and the Group of Friends of the WMO.
At the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a resolution on the right to a healthy, clean and sustainable environment was adopted at the initiative of Slovenia and like-minded countries.
Disarmament
The Permanent Representation is in charge of monitoring various developments in the field of international disarmament and non-proliferation efforts in Geneva, primarily the Conference on Disarmament.
The Conference on Disarmament (CD) has been the central forum for disarmament in the international community since its establishment in 1979 and has 65 members. Slovenia holds observer status in the CD, which it renewed annually until 2023; however, in recent years, Russia has systematically prevented the participation of observers from EU and/or NATO countries.
The Permanent Representation also monitors and represents Slovenia within the framework of the review processes of certain conventions in the field of disarmament, including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty (the Ottawa Convention), the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW).
Economic Affairs
In the field of economic and trade affairs, Slovenia is actively involved in the work of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization responsible for the multilateral rules governing trade among its members. It was established by the Marrakesh Agreement in the framework of the Uruguay Round of the multilateral trade negotiations and has been operating since 1995. Slovenia became a member in 1995. The Permanent Representation monitors the negotiations and work of various committees and participates in drafting national positions that contribute towards the common EU positions.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a United Nations body responsible for integrated approach towards trade and development and other related areas such as investment, finance, technology, entrepreneurship and sustainable development. Although, as members of UNCTAD, all EU members have the right to act independently in the intergovernmental committees of this organization, the practice of joint representation, where the EU is represented by the country holding the presidency, has been established. The Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia in Geneva monitors the activities of the organization, including the work of its committees, reports and participates in the formulation of common EU positions.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of the five UN regional commissions whose mission is to promote sustainable development and economic cooperation between the countries of the region, notably through the coordination of national policies, regulations and practices. The most important body within the UNECE is the Commission, which meets every two years in April.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has been operating within the UN since 1967 as a specialized agency to ensure and expand the protection of intellectual property through cooperation between countries. Through the Permanent Representation, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia and the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Intellectual Property, Slovenia regularly participates in meetings and coordinates positions with other EU Member States.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an organization founded in 1971, based on a public-private partnership, and at the same time represents one of the most influential think tanks in the world. The Permanent Representation supports the cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia with WEF in the fields of entrepreneurship, sustainable development, the circular economy, artificial intelligence and the Western Balkans.
Health, Labor and Social Affairs
Geneva is strongly influenced by multilateral institutions in the fields of health, labor and social affairs. Among them, we highlight the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO).
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized UN agency responsible for international public health. It advocates for universal health care, controls the risks and threats to public health, coordinates the response to health crises and promotes health and well-being, including mental health. The organization attracted special attention with the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Slovenia fully supports the WHO's efforts in the fight against contemporary health challenges. Slovenia was a member of the WHO Executive Board in the period between 2021-2024.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) is the oldest UN agency, established in 1919. It is the only UN intergovernmental (international) organization whose decision-making organs are tripartite. Thus, the International Labor Conference, the highest organ of the organization, brings together the governments, employers and workers of its 187 member states. In addition, it should be noted that the representatives of the social partners are autonomous in their decision-making, i.e. independent of the decision-making or positions of the government delegates of their country. The main task of the ILO is improving social justice and the status of workers around the world, setting international labour standards, developing policies and designing programs that promote decent work for all. Slovenia was admitted to the ILO in 1992 and regularly attends the annual sessions of the International (Ministerial) Labor Conference and the sessions of the Governing Body three times a year. In June 2021, for the second time in its history, Slovenia was elected as the deputy member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office.
Science and Digitalization
Geneva opens up many opportunities in the fields of science, digitalization and sustainable development, as the academic institutions, think tanks and international organizations operating here have a long tradition and extensive expertise.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized UN agency for information and communication technology, working in the fields of radio communications (ITU-R), telecommunications development (ITU-D) and telecommunications technology standardization (ITU-T). It is one of the oldest international organizations, developed from the International Telegraph Convention signed in 1865. Slovenia was admitted to the ITU in 1992. The Permanent Representation, together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of the Republic of Slovenia, is involved in the activities of the ITU.
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is the world's largest particle physics laboratory based on the border between Switzerland and France. Due to the need to distribute huge amounts of data from their experiments, the organization became the cradle of the World Wide Web. In 2017, Slovenia acquired the status of associate member as a preliminary phase of membership in CERN, and has been a full member of the organisation since 21 June 2025. The Permanent Representation, together with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Slovenia, aims to strenghten scientific, professional and economic cooperation with CERN.