Slovenian Development Days

Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with Sloga, platform of NGOs for development cooperation and humanitarian aid, is for the first time organising Slovenian development days, which will be held on 15, 16 and 17 October 2009 in Ljubljana.

Slovenian development days are designed to increase public awareness of the importance of international development cooperation and the efforts of the international community to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to encourage public support of international development cooperation and wishes to contribute to the awareness of the importance of achieving strategic political objectives, by emphasizing different methods and approaches to the integration of Slovenia into international development issues.

Slovenian development days will particularly address development cooperation in light of pressing global issues - global financial and economic crisis, effects of climate change and importance of human rights.

Programme:

Thursday, 15 October 2009

11:00 Opening of Slovenian Development Days

The Slovenian Development Days will be opened by Dragoljuba Benčina, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The handover of the MDG3 Torch (the third Millennium Development Goal – promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women) will follow. The Ambassador of Denmark, H.E. Ms Anita Hugau, will pass the torch to State Secretary Benčina.

As part of the Danish initiative 'Global Call to Action on MDG3', the Danish side also passes on 'MDG3 torches' to distinguished persons, including representatives of governments, international organisations, private sector and civil society, as well as individuals. By handing out MDG3 torches Denmark has collected more than 100 new commitments to “do something extra” for gender equality. Among the torch bearers are – the President of the World Bank, the Secretary General of the UN, the Presidents of Tanzania and Liberia, and lately also the U. S. first Lady Michelle Obama. The symbol of the torches helps to raise public awareness of the significance of attaining the MDGs, and MDG3 in particular, within the set time limit, i.e. 2015. The achievement of MDGs is one of Denmark's priorities in the field of international development cooperation. Since women represent great potential for the development and implementation of all MDGs, Denmark endeavours to promote their role as equal partners in combating poverty and creating a peaceful, successful and just world.

In the introductory part of Slovenian Development Days, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will present special commendations to the Slovenian winners of the 2008/2009 Youth Development Prize competition.

The European Commission has invited young Europeans aged 16 to 18 to enter the Youth Development Prize competition. The competition is for original posters or photographs dealing with one of the following themes: gender equality, children and youth, and cultural diversity. The subject this year is human development. The Slovenian finalists in this year’s competition are Nejc Kuzmič from Gimnazija Murska Sobota and Tomaž Braček from Gimnazija Ptuj.

City Museum of Ljubljana

11:30 Panel I: Why the time of crisis is precisely the time to invest in development cooperation?

Participants will discuss the importance of international development cooperation, particularly at the time of pressing global problems and difficulties that well-developed countries face at home. The crisis jeopardises the implementation of international development goals and efforts for sustainable development. In these circumstances developed countries should take responsibility and play an active role in development efforts and progress in developing countries.

Panellists:

Dr Anica Mikuš Kos, President of Slovene Philanthropy
H.E. Ms Stella Ronner-Grubacic, Ambassador for MillenniumDevelopment Goals of the Kingdom of Netherlands
Mr Anders Pedersen, Director of empowerment (democracy, human rights, gender equality), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
Mr Luis Riera-Figueras, Director, Directorate B - Development Policy and Sectoral Questions, Development DG, European Commission
Dr Silvia Ferazzi, Manager, Donor Governments, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria

Moderator:

TBD

City Museum of Ljubljana

13.00: Lunch break

14:00 Panel 2: Integrating human rights into development cooperation

Human rights - as the key element of development cooperation – have been receiving a great deal of attention lately. Numerous bilateral and multilateral donors have begun integrating human rights into their development policies and programmes, and considering human rights as a method of, and tool for increasing the efficiency and quality of development cooperation. The UN initiative to integrate human rights into the work of its agencies has significantly contributed to the recognition that respect for human rights is not only the aim of development cooperation, but that it is also important for the process itself. At the 2005 World Summit, heads of states reaffirmed that democracy, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are three interdependent and mutually reinforcing areas.

The Panel is an opportunity to discuss the importance and added value of integrating human rights into international development efforts, and to address conceptual and practical challenges relating to integrating human rights into the international and Slovenian systems of development assistance and cooperation. The discussion will be held within the context of the current global crisis, which highlights the importance of integrating human rights in development cooperation, and the need to focus on the most vulnerable and excluded groups and individuals, who are most affected by the crisis.

The Panel is organised in cooperation with the Ekvilib Institute.

Panellists:

Ms Vanessa Vega Saenz, Technical Advisor for Human Rights and Democracy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark
H.E. Ms Guro Katharina Vikor, Norwegian Ambassador to Slovenia
Mr Patrick Twomey, Director, International Human Rights Network
Ms Anita Ramšak, head of human rights and development cooperation sector, Ekvilib Institute /Coordinator, Working Group for Human Rights and Development Cooperation, Sloga

Moderator:

Ms Judit Almasi, human rights project coordinator, Terre des hommes International Federation - Child Relief

City Museum of Ljubljana

Friday, 16 October 2009

11:30 Stand Up and Take Action!

The event, organised by Slovene Philanthropy and the United Nations Association of Slovenia (UNAS), aims at raising awareness among the general public of the significance of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the issues addressed by these goals.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk will deliver the introductory address.

Slovene Philanthropy will present a short documentary film, 'Being a Woman in Uganda'. The film, addressing Goal 3 – Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women – is part of the MEDIP project, which was developed in collaboration with partners from the new EU Member States (Malta, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Estonia and Romania). The main objective of the project is to raise awareness, and encourage the media and the involved Member States to take action and thus promote the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.

In addition, there will be a presentation of a publication on the Millennium Development Goals published by the United Nations Association of Slovenia. The publication, which is intended for teachers in elementary and secondary schools, was produced within this year's Millennium Development Goals campaign. Through the campaign, the United Nations Association of Slovenia seeks to inform the general public of the importance of the Millennium Development Goals, and to contribute to increasing the official development assistance of the Republic of Slovenia.

The presentation will be followed by a round table, 'Promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in developing countries', including Slovenian experts on development cooperation and gender equality.

The event will be concluded with a concert of Adi Smolar, whose lyrics remind us of our mistakes, encourage critical thinking and honor human dignity.

For more information see: http://www.milenijski-cilji.si/.

City Museum of Ljubljana

Saturday, 17 October 2009

10:00 Exchange of experiences and examples of good practices between Slovenian development cooperation implementation organizations

Main Conference Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ljubljana