The largest international law and diplomacy conference in the history of Slovenia opened

After more than a decade of continuous efforts by the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations in New York, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, in collaboration with Argentina, Belgium, Mongolia, the Netherlands, and Senegal, jointly initiated a highly significant international diplomatic conference. The conference took place in Ljubljana and aimed to investigate and prosecute the most serious crimes through a convention on international cooperation. The conference lasted until May 26th, marking a significant milestone in international law and being named the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention.

The main objective of this diplomatic conference was to negotiate the adoption of the "International Convention on Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of the Crimes of Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, and Other International Crimes" (referred to as the "Assistance Convention"). Slovenia has been actively involved in this initiative for 12 years, striving to bridge the gap in international legal assistance and extradition when dealing with the most serious international crimes. Unlike other criminal activities, there was no established form of cooperation among the international community regarding these crimes. To address this issue, legal experts negotiated the text of the Assistance Convention to streamline cooperation among nations in the investigation and prosecution of the most serious crimes.

In her opening address, Tanja Fajon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, expressed her delight at hosting the largest international law and diplomatic conference in Slovenia's history. She emphasized the widespread participation and support for the convention, with representatives from 71 countries and 80 supporting countries attending the conference, demonstrating a shared commitment to accountability and ending these serious crimes. Minister Fajon expressed fervent hope that the conference would be a significant step in strengthening the political will and capacity of nations to investigate and prosecute the most serious international crimes, emphasizing that ensuring justice is a paramount obligation for countries.

Minister Fajon further stated in a press conference that Slovenia is immensely proud to host such an important international event. The Assistance Convention initiative highlights the fundamental responsibility of nations to prosecute international crimes and aims to enhance the effectiveness of investigations and prosecutions at the national level.

"By adopting this convention, we aim to ultimately fill the legal gaps in mutual assistance among nations," emphasized Dominika Švarc Pipan, the Minister of Justice, in her speech, emphasizing that the impunity of international crimes remains a serious threat to the rule of law and democratic societies. It not only increases the risk of further violence but also undermines efforts to protect the lives, dignity, and basic rights of individuals. Minister Švarc Pipan stressed the responsibility to hold perpetrators accountable and provide justice to the victims. She also highlighted the importance of ensuring comprehensive and effective protection for children in any criminal proceedings.

Following the opening speeches by Minister Fajon and Minister Švarc Pipan, representatives of core member states of the Assistance Convention delivered speeches. Hadja Lahbib, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Battsetseg Batmunkh, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, the Minister of Justice and Security of the Netherlands, Pablo Anselmo Tettamanti, the Deputy Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Argentina and Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Momar Gueye, the Ambassador of Senegal to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, all addressed the conference.

The conference also invited speeches from distinguished guests, including Judge Kimberly Prost from the International Criminal Court, Mbacké Fall, the Prosecutor General of the Supreme Court of Senegal, and Priya Pillai, the Director of the Secretariat of the Asian Justice Alliance.