Policy Statement of Slovenia
H.E. Mr. Pavel Gantar

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour for my country and for our Government to be given this opportunity to address this important gathering, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, and doing it for the first time since Slovenia joined the family of Member States. It is my privilege and pleasure to offer this high level Ministerial Assembly the Slovenia's perspective on the Organisation's future and to share the views on strategic role that ITU, as a global focal point in telecommunications, should play in Information Society building process.

The Republic of Slovenia is a young democracy and the ITU Member from June 16, 1992. Ten years is very short period but long enough for small and dynamic Slovenian telecommunication environment to demonstrate its potentials, resources and energy that it is willing to share with other Members and Partners in the international telecommunication development. It is also one of those developing countries in the European economic space that have succeeded to build and to sustain their telecommunication infrastructures mainly on the basis of their own knowledge, expertise and highly educated human resources.

In the period of its early independence, Slovenia proved its rational understanding of telecommunication development, technology, and its applications as well as the importance of the role of intergovernmental organisations, ITU in particular. Following its open foreign policy and policy of enhanced international integration, Slovenia became a significant designer and respected supplier of digital switching equipment for global markets, including the equipment for so-called next generation networks, taking full account of the special needs and requirements of developing countries.

Mr Chairman,

The Republic of Slovenia has 2M of inhabitants and app. 20.000 square kilometres of national territory but at the same time it also has a substantial record in the co-operation with the Union. Although not exposed, it has been very active over the decades in all segments of ITU activities including major gatherings as World Conferences, Plenipotentiary Conferences, and various Plenary Assemblies.

When the Union about 10 years ago entered into a promising reform process, Slovenia joined those Member States and Sector Members that were looking for synergy and efficiency. Today, I am happy to confirm that we continue to support the Union's policy objectives as defined over the last decade, considering the Union as an essential element and universal mechanism in bringing people together while creating the foundation for future Information Society.

In this process we believe that the Union must rethink and possibly reshape its format in view to continue to play and to strengthen its leading role for the benefit of all its constituencies. It would be correct saying that 189 Members may have different national priorities but their Union should be permitted to operate as one unique entity of all. It should work as a well tuned orchestra to guarantee the liberty of each and balance the interests of all when serving as a tool for establishment and sustenance of global telecommunications, implying faster and balanced economic as well as social development of each and every Member State.

The Government of Slovenia in this context considered appropriate to create its Ministry for Information Society that is working as a think-tank and policy maker in defining the framework of actions and associated international co-operation to ease the transition to the Information Society. On this grounds I wish to reaffirm our commitment to the noble objectives of the Union and to underline our intention to intensify action wherever appropriate in view to bring together available and creative forces to help the ITU in achieving its goals.

Mr Chairman,

It is for this reason that the Republic of Slovenia, an independent country and prominent candidate for the European Union in forthcoming years, announced its candidature for a seat on the ITU Council (Region B). My Government believes that it can assume its full responsibilities and thus further contribute in significant way to the work of the Union.

By sharing the know-how and experience of Slovenian administrative, regulatory, financial and industrial institutions in investing, designing, building, operating, regulating, and monitoring telecommunication infrastructure in liberalised environment of emerging economies Slovenia has all those attributes that makes its candidature for the ITU Council credible.

Looking to the Union's objectives within the framework of the proposed Strategic Plan for the next plenipotentiary cycle, our particular attention would be directed to the following areas of activities:

1. actively supporting and advancing the Union's reform process in all its segments;
2.  assisting in particular the ITU-D (Development Sector) in its efforts to create conditions for action and thus making bridging the digital divide possible;
3. promoting international co-operation between countries in central and south-eastern Europe, based on the principles of ITU. Acting as a mediator and serving as a bridge.
4. actively participating in the ITU-R (Radiocommunication sector) and ITU-T (Standardisation Sector) taking into consideration special requirements related to the efficient implementation of modern telecommunications in the developing environment.
5. assisting the ITU Secretary General in his ongoing endeavours to keep the momentum and reshape the ITU in practice as appropriate to prepare the ITU for its rendezvous with the Information Society

Mr Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen

I wish this Plenipotentiary Conference success, I wish that your work will inspire confidence and satisfaction of ever growing membership, I wish your considerations and conclusions may trigger new dynamism in the Union's overall performance and general activities, where the human resource is the most important element.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.