Just ahead of 2025, the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia, Peter Svetina, is hosting a two-day international conference in Bled today and tomorrow, 5 and 6 December, in which the institution of the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Its purpose is to address some of the challenges in the field of human rights, which are related, among other things, to digitalisation and artificial intelligence, the environment and climate change, growing populism, migration, an ageing society, and the threats that ombudsmen and others are increasingly facing in their work as human rights defenders.
"Social rules are put to the test in new circumstances, so it is especially important to respect the decisions of those bodies that judge which norms in society should apply, so that the dignity of the individual is respected, and their rights and fundamental freedoms are realised. The work and mission of strong ombudsman or national human rights institutions, which are professional, independent, and effective, is certainly one of the criteria for the functioning of the rule of law and an important foundation of democracy, which is also highlighted by the European Commission in its reports. Their role must therefore be strengthened, and the decisions and recommendations they make must be respected," emphasised Slovenian Ombudsman Peter Svetina at the opening of the conference.
He touched on the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, the EU Act on Artificial Intelligence, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and the Directive on the Protection of Persons from Obvious Abuses of Judicial Procedures (SLAPP), which introduce monitoring mechanisms by independent institutions, for which ombudsmen and national human rights institutions, especially in smaller countries, often lack sufficient capacity and financial resources. As he said, in a rapidly changing world, in which technological progress also dictates the pace of development, it is important for ombudsmen to strengthen themselves financially, in terms of personnel and professionally, and to adapt their operations, but not at the expense of direct contact with people, which unfortunately is receding more and more into the background in society. In his opinion, raising awareness, education, and strengthening the culture of respect for human rights is also extremely important, where the transfer and use of good practices of related institutions is crucial. Peter Svetina has forged excellent relations with many fellow human rights ombudsmen, not only within the framework of the Mediterranean Association of Ombudsmen, which he chairs, or of the International Institute of Ombudsmen, where he is a member of the Board of Directors for Europe, but also bilaterally between institutions. This is confirmed by the participation of human rights ombudsmen or heads of national human rights institutions from Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Greece, South Africa, Kosovo, Croatia, Hungary, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Northern Ireland, as well as representatives from Montenegro and Morocco, at the conference in Bled.
In addition to the other participants – the European Ombudsman, representatives of international human rights institutions such as the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), experts and practitioners from the field of human rights, representatives of civil society, policymakers and decision-makers – the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, mag. Urška Klakočar Zupančič and by video link the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Michael O'Flaherty. Ms Klakočar Zupančič emphasised that human rights are not only a general international norm, but open one of the most important questions that we must ask ourselves anew every day: what kind of world do we want to live in. She added that if we want to become an inclusive, tolerant community that peacefully coexists with others, we must raise awareness and accept human rights as a common fundamental value.
The President of the European Court of Human Rights, Dr Marko Bošnjak, also attended both days of the conference. He underlined the key role of ombudsman institutions and national human rights institutions in ensuring the protection of human rights in individual countries, especially in the context of challenges such as climate change. He also highlighted the important contribution of these institutions as independent third parties participating in proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights.
Dr Milan Brglez, State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, participated as a speaker at the conference, taking the opportunity to thank everyone who had contributed to the work of the Ombudsman over the past three decades and added: "The Ombudsman has become a key building block in the system of protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms." At the Ministry of Justice, which has systemic responsibility for this area, we are aware of our responsibility – we are preparing an amendment to the Human Rights Ombudsman Act, which will further strengthen its powers, and one of the key tasks we face is to ensure that the institution continues to be independent and capable of operating without pressure from the authorities or other interest groups in the future.
The guests of the international conference agreed that the ageing society in most European countries is one of the most important modern challenges, but that the countries, the European Union, and international organisations do not take it seriously enough. They called on those responsible in individual countries to immediately adopt the necessary structural reforms that will enable a long-lived society to not only be a phrase that means the livelihood of many elderly people, whose rights are already often violated, but will also mean a commitment to ensure the elderly quality and decent life.
At the event, much attention was also paid to the climate crisis. The interlocutors, including the Deputy Ombudsman Dr Dijana Možina Zupanc, pointed out that due to extreme weather events, we are experiencing long-term droughts, fires, floods, desertification, and simultaneous rising of the sea level, resulting in the loss of diverse habitats, fertile agricultural land, and forest areas, which, among other things, threatens the safety and supply of drinking water and food. All these risks, in addition to the broader economy, affect the already vulnerable population groups the most, especially the poor. "The hardships of individual groups from the point of view of climate change are multifaceted – from short-term, such as the loss of jobs in traditional industries, to medium- and long-term, such as a decrease in the reliability and safety of drinking water and food supply, an increase in the cost of energy supply, and healthcare problems due to rising temperatures, the probability of being affected by extreme weather events is greater," the Deputy Ombudsman emphasised, and advocated, among other things, that the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment be re-recognised at the international level. As she said, countries must adapt their actions in such a way that responses are quick and effective. "The current generation has a responsibility to protect the environment, to provide a healthy living environment for future generations, and to ensure fair treatment of the elderly in climate policies," stressed Dr Dijana Možina Zupanc.
A special thematic panel was also dedicated to respect for human rights in the introduction and use of artificial intelligence, which can cause new risks for individuals, their right to privacy, and the possibility of discrimination due to various personal circumstances and increased control over individuals. The interlocutors therefore agreed that the technological development of artificial intelligence must take place within appropriate legal and ethical frameworks that will strengthen the existing levels of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and they advocated an active role for national human rights institutions. They emphasised that it is imperative to eliminate the digital divide and ensure equal, non-discriminatory access to digital technologies for everyone, which must also include training for various vulnerable groups who do not know their way around the digital world or do not have the appropriate skills or competencies to use it.
The International Bled Conference confirmed that ombudsman institutions and national human rights institutions are a key pillar in the protection of human rights in times of increasing global challenges. The participants agreed that the voice of these institutions is increasingly important in calling attention to the respect of human rights in dealing with and regulating a number of new areas in an increasingly complex world. These institutions can be even stronger by using innovative approaches, for which they first need to recognise this kind of potential in society and ensure the necessary personnel, financial autonomy, and independence. Therefore, the participants exchanged good practices, experiences, and established contacts for future collaborations for an even more just and inclusive society in the future.
