Prime Minister Golob calls for a global partnership for access to clean, sustainable and safe water

SLOVENIA, September 22 - In his statement, the Prime Minister focused on the concept of water diplomacy that brings together different technologies, including the triangle of artificial intelligence, advanced satellite and digital technologies. These technologies are not only tools, but also catalysts for a new era. They can monitor and modulate water and river basin ecosystems with precision and efficiency, analyse weather patterns, sustainably manage natural resources and protect infrastructure.

The Prime Minister started by thanking the leaders for adopting the Pact for the Future that is all the more important today when the world faces a truly bleak future, from the climate crisis to raging wars. He called for the aggression against Ukraine and Palestine to stop. "And that goes for all armed conflicts where innocent civilians are involved and where kids are suffering. I believe peace is a vital condition in order to tackle the climate crisis efficiently. We can only do that based on trust, solidarity and global stability. Unless we can achieve that, everything will be in vain," he said.

He also touched upon global sustainability, the use of advanced technologies, and the importance of water and water diplomacy. "Water is the most precious natural resource, and practically all of the social and economic well-being is based on that. Same goes for global stability and peace. The importance of water is such that we should do all we can in order to effectively tackle the importance of water, including by building a global partnership," he said. He also mentioned that a year ago Slovenia had been hit by devastating floods. "Extreme weather is hitting us all. It does not matter where you live, it does not matter how rich or poor your country is. Extreme weather is a common global problem, and using the advanced technology in a cooperative way, is the only way forward," he added.

"In Slovenia we are building a super advanced digital ecosystem, which will link the satellite observation data with supercomputing power and artificial intelligence in order to predict how and where the water is going to show up and in order to be effective in managing water resources," he explained. He went on to say that this technology would enable us to predict where water can be found throughout the world and to effectively manage water resources.

"And here I offer to all of you to build together a global partnership how to utilize this advanced technology in order for our citizens to get access to clean and sustainable, but also safe water. I believe that is the only way forward if we want to really tackle climate crisis and the changes it brings," he said.

By way of conclusion, Prime Minister Golob reiterated the words of Secretary-General Guterres who said that today, we have opened the door, adding "let’s walk through this door together".

Prime Minister’s full statement in English