Keywords
Slovenian diplomacy
Western Balkans
sustainable development
European Union
How to Cite
Abstract
This article examines Slovenia’s international development co-operation since its accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004, focusing on its strategic priorities, challenges, and impact in regions such as the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. Using a historical and comparative approach, the study analyses policy documents, official development assistance (ODA) data and case studies to assess Slovenia’s role as a small donor state within the EU framework. The analysis sheds light on the evolution of Slovenian development diplomacy, the integration of development assistance into foreign policy objectives and the challenges of policy coherence and resource allocation. The article also examines the opportunities Slovenia has to improve its development impact and strategic partnerships by better aligning with international standards and adapting to global dynamics.
References
Arbeiter, Jana & Maja Bučar (2020): Ocena prihodnosti slovenskega mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja. Unpublished materials.
Arbeiter, Jana & Maja Bučar (2022): Global Partnership in Response to COVID-19. Annales, Series Historia et Sociologia, 32, 3, 481–496.
Arbeiter, Jana, Bučar, Maja & Boštjan Udovič (2019): Slovenian Development Cooperation and Commercial Diplomacy: Twins or Rivals? Teorija in praksa, 56, Posebna številka: Nastajajoči novi svetovni red: novi trendi, ki zahtevajo nove odgovore, 454–471.
Bučar, Maja & Boštjan Udovič (2007): Oblikovanje strategije mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja Slovenije ob upoštevanju načel EU. Teorija in praksa, 44, 6, 842–861.
Bučar, Maja & Marko Milosavljević (2011): Poročanje o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju v slovenskih medijih. Javnost—The Public, 18, 1, 83–103.
Bučar, Maja (2011): Mednarodno razvojno sodelovanje in slovenska diplomacija: primer jugovzhodne Evrope. Teorija in praksa, 48, 3, 734–750.
Caritas Slovenia (2024a): Development Project of Caritas Slovenia: Women’s Entrepreneurship Development in Agriculture in South-Eastern Serbia. 2020–2022. https://www.karitas.si/mednarodna-pomoc/razvojna-pomoc-jv-evropa/ (last access: 2024-09-01).
Caritas Slovenia (2024b): Ensuring Sustainable Primary Education Capacity for Children in Nyangungu, Burundi. 2015–2017. https://www.karitas.si/mednarodnapomoc/humanitarna-in-razvojna-pomoc-afrika/ (last access: 2024-09-01).
Caritas Slovenia (n.d.): Razvojna in humanitarna pomoč – Afrika. https://www.karitas.si/mednarodna-pomoc/humanitarna-in-razvojna-pomoc-afrika/ (last access: 2024-09-25).
Jaklič, Andreja & Marjan Svetličič (2016): Do Stereotypes Hinder or Promote Foreign Direct Investment? The Case of Western Balkan countries. Teorija in Praksa, 53, 5, 1095–1108.
Kočan, Faris & Boštjan Udovič (2020): Diplomacija s (kolektivnim) spominom: kako preteklost vpliva na izvajanje diplomacije? Annales, Series Historia et Sociologia, 30, 3, 457–468.
MFA (2014): Poročilo o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju Republike Slovenije za leto 2013. http://vrs-3.vlada.si/MANDAT13/vladnagradiva.nsf/71d4985ffda5de89c12572c3003716c4/79b3d851bc2c52d7c1257ce400575f86/$FILE/Porocilo2013_podpisano.pdf (last access: 2024-09-01).
MFA (2018): Poročilo o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju Republike Slovenije za leto 2017. https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MZZ/Dokumenti/multilaterala/razvojno-sodelovanje/porocila/Porocilo-o-MRS-2017F.docx (last access: 2024-09-01).
MFA (2019a): Strategija mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja in humanitarene pomoči Republike Slovenije do leta 2030. https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MZZ/Dokumenti/multilaterala/razvojno-sodelovanje/Strategija-MRSHP-popravljeno.docx (last access: 2024-10-28).
MFA (2019b): Poročilo o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju Republike Slovenije za leto 2018. https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MZZ/Dokumenti/multilaterala/razvojno-sodelovanje/porocila/Porocilo-o-MRS-2018.docx (last access: 2024-09-01).
MFA (2020): Poročilo o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju Republike Slovenije za leto 2019. https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MZZ/Dokumenti/multilaterala/razvojno-sodelovanje/porocila/porocilo-mrs-2019.docx (last access: 2024-09-01).
MFA (2021): Poročilo o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju Republike Slovenije za leto 2020. https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MZZ/Dokumenti/multilaterala/razvojno-sodelovanje/porocila/Porocilo-o-MRS-2020-F.docx (last access: 2024-09-01).
MFA (2022): Poročilo o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju Republike Slovenije za leto 2021. https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MZEZ/Dokumenti/multilaterala/razvojno-sodelovanje/porocila/Porocilo-o-MRS-2021.docx (last access: 2024-09-01).
MFA (2023): Poročilo o mednarodnem razvojnem sodelovanju Republike Slovenije za leto 2022. https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MZEZ/Dokumenti/multilaterala/razvojno-sodelovanje/porocila/Porocilo-o-MRS-2022.docx (last access: 2024-09-01).
Mrak, Mojmir, Bučar, Maja & Helena Kamnar (2007): Mednarodno razvojno sodelovanje Republike Slovenije. IB revija, 41, 3–4, 50–67.
OECD (2017): OECD Development Co-operation Peer Reviews: Slovenia 2017. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-development-co-operation-peer-reviewsslovenia-2017_9789264279308-en.html (last access: 2024-09-01).
OECD (2024): Development Co-Operation Profiles. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/e6f1ed3f-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/5e331623-en&_csp_=b14d4f60505d057b456dd1730d8fcea3&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType=chapter#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20Slovenia%20provided%20USD,%2C%20region%2C%20theme%20or%20purpose (last access: 2024-09-01).
OECD (n.d.): OECD Data Explorer. Slovenia. https://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?lc=en&pg=0&tm=oda&snb=35&df[ds]=dsDisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_DAC1%40DF_DAC1&df[ag]=OECD.DCD.FSD&df[vs]=1.2&dq=SVN.2101%2B2102%2B2103%2B2104%2B2105%2B2106%2B2107%2B2108..1140%2B1160..Q.&to[TIME_PERIOD]=false&ly[cl]=TIME_PERIOD&ly[rw]=MEASURE&pd=2005%2C2013&vw=ov (last access: 2024-09-01).
PISRS (2006): Act on International Development Cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia. https://pisrs.si/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO4396 (last access: 2024-09-01).
PISRS (2008): Resolution on International Development Cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia until 2015. https://pisrs.si/pregledPredpisa?id=RESO58 (last access: 2024-09-01).
PISRS (2017): Resolution on Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance of the Republic of Slovenia. https://pisrs.si/pregledPredpisa?id=RESO117 (last access: 2024-09-01).
PISRS (2018a): Act on Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid https://pisrs.si/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO7602 (last access: 2024-09-01).
PISRS (2018b): Decree on the Implementation of International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid of the Republic of Slovenia. https://pisrs.si/pregledPredpisa?id=URED7517 (last access: 2024-09-01).
Rogelj, Janez, Bojnec, Štefan & Klavdij Logožar (2023): A Model of International Development Cooperation: the Case of Slovenia. Naše gospodarstvo, 69, 1, 1–9.
Udovič, Boštjan & Danijela Vojinović Jaćimović (2019): Osamosvojitev držav in “pozaba” zgodovinskih dosežkov: primer ne-nadaljevanja gospodarske diplomacije Jugoslavije v Sloveniji in Črni gori po njuni osamosvojitvi. Annales, Series Historia et Sociologia, 29, 1, 55–68.
Udovič, Boštjan (2022): “Danke Deutschland!”: The Political and Diplomatic Contribution of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Creation of Independent Slovenia. Acta Histriae, 30, 2, 535–564.
Udovič, Boštjan & Maja Bučar (2014): Slovenia’s International Development Cooperation: Between (Declarative) Commitments and (Outspoken) Reality. Studia Historica Slovenica, 14, 1, 75–96.
Udovič, Boštjan & Maja Bučar (2016): “Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall…”: Slovenian Development Assistance in the Western Balkan Countries and its Reputation in the Region. Teorija in praksa, 53, 5, 1064–1078.
World Bank (n.d.): DataBank: World Development Indicators. https://databank.worldbank.org/reports.aspx?source=2&series=DC.ODA.TOTL.CD&country=ITA,SVN,ESP,IRL (last access: 2024-09-01).
Zielińska, Karolina (2016): Development Diplomacy. Development Aid as a Part of Public Diplomacy in the Pursuit of Foreign Policy Aims: Theoretical and Practical Considerations. Historia i Polityka, 16, 23, 9–26.
Zrinski, Urška & Maja Bučar (2015): Slovenia: What Options for a Small Donor? In: Horký-Hluchan, Ondrej (ed.): Development Cooperation of the ‘New’ EU Member States. Prague, Institute of International Relations, 82–106.
Zupančič, Rok, Ioannidis, Nikandros & Faris Kočan (2021): The European Union’s (In)Ability to Address Troubled Past(s): Voices from Eight European Countries. Annales, Series Historia et Sociologia, 31, 4, 547–560.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.