President Pirc Musar at the opening of the 19th Bled Strategic Forum: "We must reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, strengthen international institutions and promote the spirit of cooperation"

In her opening speech, the President of the Republic stressed that 2024 was critical for humanity and that the decisions we made would have a permanent effect on our common future. "Our strategic vision must be one of unity, resilience and a shared commitment to the betterment of all people," said the President, adding that global challenges such as the climate crisis, food security and geopolitical tensions require our immediate attention and action.

She drew particular attention to the intertwined consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, which present a major challenge for the international community. "The path forward requires bold, collective action that transcends borders and politics. Realizing the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is therefore of key importance. Human rights and dignity must be placed at the centre of any measures to tackle the environmental crisis," said the President, underlining the importance of supporting vulnerable communities most affected by climate change.

President Pirc Musar also touched on the current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. She stressed that Slovenia would continue to firmly support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom and independence. "We all want peace. But let us be clear: although there are two warring parties, Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is the victim. It is the right of Ukrainian people to defend their homeland and it is our collective duty to support them and protect the world based on law rather than force," she said. She once again strongly condemned violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, where the civilian population is suffering as a result of the conflict. She stressed the need to ensure immediate access to humanitarian aid and to work towards a lasting two-state solution. "Peace cannot be achieved without justice and respect for human rights," she added.

In October, Slovenia will host the 10th Meeting of the Parties to the UN Water Convention and take over chairing the Water Convention Bureau for the next three years. The Slovenian President also drew attention to the increasing scarcity of water, which is becoming one of the main sources of conflict around the world. "Slovenia has been calling for accelerated action on water-related challenges globally. It is cross-border cooperation in this area that is crucial for peace and security."

The challenges we currently face – whether they are environmental, geopolitical, economic or technological – are global in nature, and they require global solutions. "We must reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, strengthen our international institutions, and foster a spirit of cooperation that transcends narrow national interests," President Pirc Musar said in closing remarks.
The President also met with this year's BSF award winner, Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. She will also deliver a keynote address at the evening concert "Orchestrated Dialogue". On the margins of the Bled Strategic Forum, the President of the Republic held several bilateral meetings. On the second day of the forum, she received Mathias Cormann, the Secretary-General of the OECD, Steffen Lang, a member of the Novartis Executive Committee, and Michael O'Flaherty, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.

She and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann discussed the importance of multilateralism and Slovenia's role in the OECD. The President praised the work that the OECD is doing to promote gender equality and empower women and girls. During her discussion with Council of Europe Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty, she spoke about the importance of protecting and enforcing human rights, with particular emphasis on gender equality and the rights of children, the elderly, minorities and other vulnerable groups. They also discussed the role of the Council of Europe in further codifying the new right to a clean and healthy environment. On the margins of the Bled Strategic Forum, the President also met with Steffen Lang, a member of the Novartis Executive Committee and President of Operations. Dr Lang explained that more than 47% of the company's management positions are held by women, and they also discussed the role of artificial intelligence in medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as cooperation with universities and young researchers.