Statement by Ambassador Barbara Žvokelj, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia

I thank you, Mister President and good morning to everyone. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you, Secretary-General, on behalf of my Government, for the service of each and every UN staff member on the ground.

Mister President,

7 October was the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust. And what followed are the deadliest 570 days ever for Palestinians. We have never seen such a perpetuating trauma for people on the ground nor an obliteration of the system we had built to prevent it.

Mister President,

Never has humanity been more suffocated. From attacks on humanitarian, medical and media workers to attacks on civilians and destruction of civilian objects and humanitarian facilities in Gaza. From the longest blockade of humanitarian aid since the start of the war, now passing fifty days, to plans for militarization of aid. From limiting access of humanitarian workers to downright attempts to dismantle a UN agency, to legally prosecute it and discredit the entire organisation. From killing civilians just because they are of certain ethnic background to taking others for hostage for the same reason.

The list of the unacceptable is long and it prevents us from shielding civilians from a war which they bear no responsibility for. We again call for full respect of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law.

Mister President,

Never has the future of the region seemed so profoundly uncertain. To use the words of Gazan photographer Fatima Hassouna, tragically killed earlier this month: every death will have an impact that will remain through time. There is no military solution to the Palestinian question. War in Gaza does not bring more security to Israel. Operations in the West Bank and persistent illegal occupation and settlement expansion are shaking up the entire region. Attacks across the region, including on the South of Syria, along with inflammatory political narratives are stoking global instability.

As a diplomat, I fear what could come out of the ashes of the Gaza war if there is no united front from the international community to prevent more violence, more hatred and more radicalism.

As a mother, I wonder what kind of future awaits those children in Palestine who have lost their entire families, or those children in Israel whose relatives are still held hostage or will never come home. The road to their recovery is long. It is our responsibility to pave it with peace.

Mister President,

Never have we needed more strength to prevent the evaporation of a political solution and to defend the system we have collectively built. Slovenia has long been a staunch supporter of the two-state solution. Last June, we recognized the State of Palestine. Since October 2023 we have been providing humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilian population in Gaza. For almost 15 years we have been carrying out the medical rehabilitation of wounded Palestinian children in Slovenia.

We will continue speaking in favor of Israel’s security as well as in support of the work of the Palestinian Authority, including in their reform path. We stand against any territorial or demographic change of Palestine. Slovenia supports the ongoing discussions around the Comprehensive Gaza Reconstruction Plan, highlighting the crucial role of strong Arab and Palestinian ownership. We will continue supporting political and legal processes.

Everyone should play their part, including through tangible commitments and actions at the international conference on the two-state solution this June that you just mentioned, Mister President.

As we look to the future, our first most immediate priority must be a lasting ceasefire followed by reconstruction. But the future must also include an honest reflection on the failures, our failures, to uphold the security net that the international community should provide to prevent such devastation.

Mister President,

With the level of suffering we see, immense wisdom and courage are needed: to ensure respect of international law, to overcome divisions and to safeguard the two-state solution.

We have said ‘never again’ a long time ago. We must now make sure to keep our word.

Thank you.

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