Slovene Ombudsman Ivan Bizjak issued a statement at Human Rights Day, 10 December, stressing that the day will be celebrated for the last time in the century which was marked by the atrocities of two world wars.

Efforts for human rights respect have contributed to great progress in the second half of the century, yet many challenges are still ahead. The proclamation of human rights alone is not enough to achieve their respect, Bizjak stressed. Apart from democratic environment and the rule of law that protect human rights, personal efforts of individuals also play an important part, Bizjak wrote.

The Slovene ombudsman institution was established five years ago. There are no severe and systematic violations of human rights in Slovenia, Bizjak wrote in his statement, pointing to the problems that occur because of inefficient operation of the state. The main problem is the backlogs in court and administrative procedures, which has also been criticised by foreign countries.

In his statement the Slovene ombudsman drew attention to the 10th anniversary of the UN Children's Rights Convention, the recently ratified European Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights and the International Year of Older Persons. Bizjak stressed the significance of human rights respect of the deprived and the handicapped. He stressed the need to work out a national programme for human rights education within the UN Decade for Human Rights Education until 2004.