Rupel Seeks Support for Slovenia's UN Human Rights Bid

Ljubljana, 21 April

Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel met ambassadors to Slovenia in Ljubljana on Friday in order to ask their countries to endorse Slovenia's bid for a seat in the newly-established UN Council of Human Rights.

According to Friday's press release from the Foreign Ministry, Rupel outlined Slovenia's bid for one of the six seats reserved for the East European group in the council to the foreign ambassadors accredited to Slovenia.
Slovenia is one of twelve countries bidding for the six seats. Rupel asked the ambassadors that their countries should back Slovenia's bid "on the basis of Slovenia's standing as an advocate of human rights protection".
Rupel also told the ambassadors that Slovenia backed the idea to establish the UN Council of Human Rights ever since it was first floated and that it was very happy that the body was eventually established.
According to Rupel, Slovenia intends to ratify this year the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and has signed the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, while it is also implementing numerous measures to bolster human rights protection in the country.
Slovenia was created on the basis of a fight for democracy and human rights, and these principles are set down as the basis of the country's Constitution, Rupel told the ambassadors as carried by the Foreign Ministry.
Slovenia also has experience with holding a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 1998 and 1999 and chairing the OSCE in 2005, which would help it be an effective member of the UN Council of Human Rights, Rupel said.
The new council, which was established by the UN General Assembly on 15 March with 170 votes in favour, will in June replace the much-criticised Commission on Human Rights.
The elections to the new 47-strong body are scheduled for 9 May, when the candidates try to get 96 votes of the 191-strong UN General Assembly. The outcome of the vote is expected to indicate whether the UN reform has truly brought about change.

Rupel Seeks Support for Slovenia's UN Human Rights Bid

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