27. 8. 2025 | PR, Young BSF
Pokljuka, 28 August 2025 – Today marks the beginning of the 14th edition of the Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF), taking place on Pokljuka and later continuing at the main Bled Strategic Forum. This year’s programme, titled What values?, puts the spotlight on values as one of the core forces shaping global politics. In a time marked by a resurgence of realpolitik, Young BSF poses a timely and layered question: How – if at all – do values influence international politics? And what does the state of the world reveal about ourselves and the values we hold?
Designed with and for young professionals
This year’s Young BSF brings together 49 young professionals from 26 countries, aged 18 to 35, working broadly across the field of international politics. The group includes diplomats, activists, journalists, advisors, parliamentarians, legal experts, entrepreneurs, trade unionists, and more – all united by their commitment to making a positive impact in their communities and beyond.
The 2025 edition has been shaped in close collaboration with past and current participants. Last year’s alumni helped co-design the programme; young experts will lead most of the workshops, and this year’s participants will take on roles as moderators in all forum discussions. Every element of the programme was built with the aim of maximising participant engagement and ownership.
What can today’s world tell us about our values?
Young BSF 2025 explores values as a fundamental driver of international politics. At the centre of the programme is the question of whether values still meaningfully shape global decision-making – and how our current world reflects, reinforces, or challenges the values we claim to uphold.
Participants will explore this intersection through three key thematic pillars:
- the crisis of the rules-based international order,
- the stalling fight against the climate emergency, and
- the personal experience of practitioners confronting the gap between their values and the constraints of their working environment.
The event’s format is deliberately participant-oriented. Workshops and peer-to-peer discussions take priority, while classic panel formats are reserved for the closing part of the programme. By focusing on exchange among participants themselves – all of whom bring exceptional knowledge and experience – the forum fosters an environment for both deep reflection and practical idea-sharing.
In addition to promoting learning and professional development, the forum also plays a crucial role in community building. New connections and friendships formed during these three days often lead to fresh collaborations and future opportunities, making the Young BSF experience as personally enriching as it is professionally impactful.
Bringing in the best from abroad – and showcasing Slovenia’s own expertise
Twelve institutional partners supported the development and delivery of this year’s Young BSF – six of them directly involved in shaping the programme content. The organisers emphasised the importance of quality and diversity in both local and international partnerships, with the dual goal of bringing top talent to Slovenia while also showcasing Slovenian expertise to the world.
Among the content partners are the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Germany), The Carter Center (USA), Cast from Clay (UK), the Gajst Institute, the Centre of Excellence in Finance, and the Slovenian Student Association of Psychology. The event is co-organised by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Centre for European Perspective, with additional support from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, the Central European Initiative, the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
The Young BSF continues to serve as a dynamic tool of Slovenian public diplomacy – one that brings international professionals to Slovenia while creating space for the country’s ideas, people, and institutions to be presented to a global audience.
An independent programme, deeply connected to Bled Strategic Forum
Although independently curated, Young BSF is closely interwoven with the broader Bled Strategic Forum. On Monday, participants will host a special series of in-depth conversations – Deep Dive by Young BSF – which will be open to all Bled Strategic Forum attendees. These sessions, held in either one-on-one or focused panel formats, offer selected Bled Strategic Forum guests the opportunity to explore their ideas in greater detail and in dialogue with the younger generation.
As in previous years, selected Young BSF participants will also participate in Bled Strategic Forum panel discussions and be given priority during Q&A segments, ensuring that insights from mid-level practitioners inform high-level debates.
25. 8. 2025 | BiH - Young Politicians, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, Youth
This week, the second Enter: Change Forum titled “Shaping BiH’s Tomorrow: Youth Leading the Way” will unite 16 young leaders from across Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing diverse ethnic and political backgrounds.
The Forum, starting on 28 August, will include participation in the Young BSF on 31 August and the Bled Strategic Forum on 1 and 2 September. It will provide a platform to address some of the most pressing challenges facing Bosnia and Herzegovina, including European integration, the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and interethnic dialogue through inclusive leadership. Participants will engage in lectures, panel discussions, training sessions, mentorship, and public dialogue. Under the guidance of Mr Adnan Ćerimagić, analyst at the European Stability Initiative, the young leaders will prepare a vision statement on the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path towards the European Union.
The Forum will also unite young leaders with participants of the Young Bled Strategic Forum, with both then joining the Bled Strategic Forum, working to amplify the voices of youth and highlight their role in shaping inclusive political processes and promoting European values.
The activities of the Enter: Change project are supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and the Embassy of the United States of America in Ljubljana.
13. 8. 2025 | POTC, PR
Med 17. in 18. septembrom bo na Gradu Jable potekalo četrto usposabljanje na temo mednarodnega humanitarnega in kazenskega prava. Usposabljanje “Mednarodno humanitarno in kazensko pravo” POTC organizira v sodelovanju s Sektorjem za pravne zadeve Generalštaba Slovenske vojske.
Click here to read this article in English.
Usposabljanje je namenjeno pravnim svetovalcem in je zasnovano kot platforma za izmenjavo mnenj ter pogledov na določeno tematiko, ki jo predhodno predstavijo posamezni strokovnjaki. Letošnja izvedba usposabljanja bo ob sodelovanju predstavnikov iz Specializiranega državnega tožilstva, Pravne fakultete Univerze v Mariboru, Pravne fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani in Inštituta za kriminologijo posvečena naslednjim temam:
- zbiranje dokazov z bojišč,
- kazenskopravna ureditev uporabe sile s strani Slovenske vojske,
- vojaška poglavja prava morja,
- študija primerov iz Gaze,
- pravni vidiki bojevanja v vesolju.
Usposabljanje bo potekalo v slovenskem jeziku, udeležba pa je brezplačna.
Prijave na usposabljanje sprejemamo do vključno 5. septembra na sledeči povezavi: 🟢 prijavni obrazec
Za več informacij o usposabljanju in še več nas lahko spremljate na družbenih omrežjih:
LinkedIn • X • Facebook • Bluesky
17. 7. 2025 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, Ukraine
Kočevje, 17 July 2025 – A group of 45 children from Bucha Municipality (Kyiv region) spent a week in Kočevje, Slovenia, taking part in a programme designed to give them a break from the ongoing war and a chance to enjoy nature and new experiences.
The children, aged 9 to 14, followed an active schedule filled with sports, games, creative activities, and time outdoors. They especially enjoyed rafting and exploring the forests and hills of the Kočevje region, known for its natural beauty and wildlife. Teachers and mentors accompanying the group expressed gratitude for the opportunity to provide the children with a safe and peaceful environment where they could relax and recharge. On their final day, the children met with Oleg Rogoza, Project Manager at CEP, and shared their impressions and hopes, including the wish that one day their Slovenian friends might visit them in Bucha.
The visit was made possible by the initiative of the Municipality of Kočevje and the Municipality of Bucha, with support from CEP and other partners. It is part of a broader effort to strengthen cooperation between Slovenian and Ukrainian municipalities and support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. The visit of Bucha children in Kočevje highlights good cooperation between Bucha and Kočevje, which signed a twin-cities agreement in April 2024.
We thank Mayor Gregor Košir, the team at the Municipality of Kočevje, all mentors, and the co-financers who helped make this visit possible.
The visit is in part supported by the Slovenian Aid & Partnerships programme of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.
14. 7. 2025 | Montenegro - finance, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance
On Friday, 11 July, we concluded the first fact-finding visit to Podgorica, which took place from 9 to 11 July 2025, as part of an ongoing project aimed at strengthening the institutional capacities for financial investigations in Montenegro.
The visit aimed to gain a more in-depth understanding of the current situation and key challenges in the fields of investigative procedures and financial investigations, with Slovenian experts exchanging information with their colleagues at the Montenegrin Ministry of the Interior and Police Administration. The expert team, led by CEP, also held a meeting with Mr Vladimir Novovič, Chief Special Prosecutor at the Special State Prosecutor’s Office and discussed the role of their Office and inter-institutional cooperation.
The project is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through the International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (Slovenia Aid & Partnerships) Programme, in cooperation with the Slovenian Police and the Ministry of Interior.
10. 7. 2025 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, Ukraine
Today marks the conclusion of an intensive internship visit of the Ukrainian municipality Drohobych 🇺🇦 in Municipality Hrastnik 🇸🇮, as part of the TIPS4UA initiative. The visit brought together key municipal actors to exchange good practices, deepen cooperation, and co-develop solutions to one of the most pressing issues facing Ukrainian local governments today: housing. A representative from Drohobych spent two weeks in Hrastnik, focusing on sustainable housing, municipal planning, and strategic recovery efforts.
More than 2,400 people, including large families, families with disabilities, and over 300 internally displaced households, are currently waiting for safe and affordable housing due to a severe housing crisis. The visit was designed to support Drohobych in addressing this urgent need by learning from Hrastnik’s experience in socially inclusive, non-profit housing policies.
During the programme, participants took part in:
• Discussions on housing models in Hrastnik and Slovenia
• Field visits to Hrastnik, Celje and Ljubljana
• Workshops on legal, financial and planning aspects of housing strategy
• Expert exchanges with Slovenian institutions
The mentorship explored how communities like Hrastnik address housing challenges through open planning, financial foresight, and community involvement. These insights will contribute to a pilot non-profit housing project in Drohobych.
Mr Yatskiv, representative of Drohobych, shared: “This internship gave us concrete ideas and a vision of what is possible. The solidarity and support from Hrastnik give us hope and practical direction for building our community back stronger.” Although the internship may have concluded, cooperation between the two municipalities continues. CEP remains proud to support both partners in this essential work.
The activities are supported by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs under the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships Programme. In cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions and U-LEAD with Europe.
