On Tuesday, December 12th, the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) hosted a roundtable discussion titled ‘The Republic of Slovenia as a Non-Permanent Member of the UN Security Council 2024–2025: Streamlining our Approach Toward Common Objectives.’ The event took place at Jable Castle.
The discussion highlighted Slovenia’s commitment to four key priority areas during its presidency: 1) proactive measures for conflict prevention; 2) ensuring the protection of civilians in times of armed conflicts; 3) advancing the cause of women, peace, and security; and 4) addressing the intricate relationship between climate, peace, and security. These areas of emphasis were carefully chosen based on existing needs and unanswered questions, illuminating persisting challenges that demand ongoing attention.
Roundtable’s Key Contributors
Nina Čepon, Executive Director of CEP, commenced the event with introductory remarks. She expressed gratitude to all attendees for their presence and subsequently provided insights into CEP’s initiatives. Her remarks touched upon diverse projects, ranging from collaborations with Ukraine and the Western Balkans to addressing misinformation, building capacities for peacekeeping and engaging in projects involving artificial intelligence.
Following Ms. Čepon’s introductory remarks, Mr Peter Grk, Secretary General of the Bled Strategic Forum and National Coordinator for the Western Balkans at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, skillfully guided the conversation with a panel of five speakers. Setting the stage, Mr. Flavio Milan from the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, heading UN coordination and serving as deputy head of the UN division in Bern, shared opening insights. His unique perspective, rooted in Switzerland’s precedence over Slovenia in the United Nations Security Council, offered valuable insights and experiences. In light of unfolding global events, Mr. Milan acknowledged the challenges anticipated in the upcoming year.
The subsequent contributors included Mr Matej Marn, Head of the UN Security Council Task Force at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia; Ms Sabina Stadler Repnik, Head of the Strategic Studies and Analyses Service at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia; Dr Ljubica Jelušič, Professor at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences; and Mr Samo Selimović, Coordinator of the Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC).
Roundtable’s Conclusions
The roundtable also served as an opportunity to map out other Slovenian actors – NGOs, Institutes and research organisations – to present their activities, aligned with the Slovenian priorities and provide ideas on future collaboration with the Slovenian government within these topics.
The dialogue, alongside the panellists, reached a consensus on the challenging times anticipated ahead. Despite Slovenia’s relatively small size, the prevailing sentiment was that size should not be a limiting factor. The collective commitment urged the pursuit of peace while remaining steadfast in upholding core values.
We want to thank the panellists, representatives of various Slovenian NGOs and institutes, and the numerous audience members who contributed to the successful and engaging roundtable. Even though our traditional pre-holiday roundtables were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will strive to continue with this tradition and offer you insight into another relevant topic next year.
On the 30th of November, the last training of 2023, the Disruptive Military Practices & Technologies Training, was held at POTC’s home base – Jable Castle, for a group of dedicated participants, mainly coming from the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence.
The aim of the training was to address the emergence of new technologies and practices in the security and defence field, which have the potential to disrupt. More concretely, the sessions focused on the following subjects:
Space Weather: insights into the influence of space weather on critical infrastructure;
Space Technologies and their Applications: the latest developments in space technologies and their practical applications in the defence sector;
EU Technological Sovereignty: addressing the crucial topic of maintaining technological sovereignty within the European Union;
The Disruptive Potential of AI in the Field of Security: understanding the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on national and international security.
The participants of the training had the chance to hear about and discuss important topics with leading lecturers whose insights were invaluable. The training was not short on new and emerging concepts and terms such as digital twins, rare earth mineral dependence, space storms, satellite flood mapping, failure prediction and information warfare.
With this, POTC’s training activities for 2023 have been concluded. We are more than pleased to have facilitated a wide array of training activities this year and are excited about what is coming in 2024.
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On the 30th of November, the 1st solo edition of the Disruptive Military Practices & Technologies Training will be held at POTC’s home base – Jable Castle for a group of dedicated participants mainly coming from the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence.
The aim of the Disruptive Military Practices & Technologies Training is to address the emergence of new threats and opportunities in the security and defence field. More concretely, the sessions will focus on the following subjects:
Space Weather: insights into the influence of space weather on critical infrastructure;
Space Technologies and their Applications: the latest developments in space technologies and their practical applications in the defence sector;
EU Technological Sovereignty: addressing the crucial topic of maintaining technological sovereignty within the European Union;
The Disruptive Potential of AI in the Field of Security: understanding the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on national and international security.
The participants of the training will have the chance to hear about and discuss these important topics with leading lecturers whose insights are invaluable. The field of emerging technologies and their influence on our common security are topics that need addressing, especially because we live in an interconnected world where technology is developing exponentially while our human understanding of it seems to lagging behind.
The call for applications is extended until November 24th at the following link: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
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On November 7th, 58 members of the Slovenian Armed Forces successfully completed the 2nd edition of International Humanitarian Law Training at the Joint Training Centre in Postojna.
Using immersive teaching tools developed by the Legal Department of the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Joint Training Centre Research and Simulations Department, the attending military participants trained themselves on topics such as:
the status of persons in armed conflict;
direct participation in hostilities;
the treatment of the dead;
the status of prisoners of war – POWs;
protection of cultural heritage;
obligations of the defender;
perfidy;
and more.
Leading IHL experts from the Faculty of Law of the University of Ljubljana, dr. Vasilka Sancin and dr. Maruša Tekavčič Veber, delivered 2 days of thought-provoking sessions that engaged the participants and opened the floor for lively debates.
»Even wars have rules« was the main motto of the international humanitarian law training and this was crystal clear by the end of this joint training between the Slovenian Armed Forces and POTC.
We would like to thank all the participants, the lecturers, the staff of the Joint Training Centre in Postojna and the staff of the Legal Department of the Slovenian Armed Forces who developed the content of this training. The POTC Team looks forward to the next edition of this training whose themes are growing in importance in an ever more complex world.
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From 6 to 7 November, the 2nd module of the training on International Humanitarian Law will take place at the Joint Training Centre in Postojna. The organisation of the training is shared between the Slovenian Armed Forces and POTC.
After last year’s first training module on International Humanitarian Law, this year’s module will focus on specific topical areas of this overarching theme. The aim of the second module is to cover the topics that have been identified as the most legally pressing for personnel of peace operations in the field.
The trainees of the International Humanitarian Law training will learn about:
the status of persons in armed conflict;
direct participation in hostilities;
the treatment of the dead;
the status of prisoners of war – POWs;
protection of cultural heritage;
obligations of the defender;
perfidy;
and much more.
The International Humanitarian Law training will also make use of new teaching methods and an updated interactive approach to learning, with the aim of providing mission members with a holistic understanding of real day-to-day legal issues from the perspective of international humanitarian law in the event of escalations in the field. The learning outcomes will directly impact the capabilities of military personnel who are soon to be deployed in Slovenian peace and security structures.
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On October 6th POTC successfully delivered the 5-day Comprehensive Protection of Civilians (CPoC) Training to a group of engaged and motivated participants.
In an increasingly interconnected and turbulent world, the need to safeguard the well-being of civilians caught in the crossfire of conflicts, natural disasters, and other forms of violence has never been more paramount. Over the course of 5 days (and 1 day of e-learning), participants from diverse backgrounds, including military, police, and civilian personnel, delved deep into the concept of “Protection of Civilians” (PoC), unravelling its intricate dimensions and reinforcing their commitment to the cause.
The training empowered participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to prevent and respond to violence against civilians. For those without prior experience in civilian crisis management or international missions, this training was an invaluable resource, equipping them with the expertise needed to make a meaningful impact in the protection of civilians.
Delivering this training would not be possible without the cooperation of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC), namely ESDC Policy Officer/Training Manager Enver Ferhatović, and the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to the European Union staff, as well as the ESDC Deputy Head Fergal O’Regan and Slovenian Permanent Representative Ambassador Iztok Jarc.
We fully believe that with renewed determination and a broader perspective, the participants of this training are now better equipped to champion the cause of the Protection of Civilians and work towards a safer and more compassionate world for all.
