International Mother Earth Day: Slovenia's commitment to sustainable development reflected in its foreign policy

SLOVENIA, April 22 - On the initiative of a group of countries, including Slovenia, the UN General Assembly recognised the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in 2022. By actively participating in this process, Slovenia demonstrated its commitment to multilateralism with the UN at its core.

The pursuit of effective global governance that supports a just green transition and promotes resilient and inclusive societies led Slovenia to bring together six like-minded countries to form the Green Group. For 15 years, Iceland, Costa Rica, Slovenia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Cabo Verde have been united in their determination to prioritise environmental issues within the foreign policy agenda. Environmental sustainability lies at the core of the 2030 Agenda implementation and is embedded in all the Sustainable Development Goals, none of which can be achieved without a respectful relationship with our planet. The consequences of environmental degradation are felt most acutely by vulnerable groups and communities, particularly those living in poverty. At the very least, they need fertile land, clean water and adequate sanitation to escape the cycle of deprivation.

Slovenia also highlights the importance of protecting our planet through its development cooperation and humanitarian aid activities. In accordance with strategic documents, environmental protection is one of two cross-cutting themes, requiring all projects in this field to take environmental considerations into account.

Environmental protection and the fight against climate change are central objectives in numerous projects financed through Slovenia’s development cooperation. Current projects include an awareness-raising campaign on sustainable environmental solutions in Albania; beekeeping projects in Zambia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine; wastewater treatment in North Macedonia; waste management in Montenegro and Kosovo; and sustainable forest management in Moldova.

International Mother Earth Day is also an opportunity to reflect on humanity's relationship with the Earth and our collective, global responsibility to ensure its well-being.

Climate change often exacerbates living conditions, whether due to natural events or human activity. Throughout history, humanity has shown resilience in the face of natural challenges and has drawn upon its interdependence with nature for its own progress. Similarly, today’s environmental challenges offer the opportunity to unite people and communities in shared purpose and cooperation.