National Action Plan of the Republic of Slovenia on Business and Human Rights.

The National Action Plan of the Republic of Slovenia on Business and Human Rights (hereinafter: Action Plan) is intended to ensure that the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles) are implemented, to promote respect for human rights in business operations at the national, regional and international levels, and to contribute to policy harmonization in this field. This Action Plan forms part of the measures aimed at implementing the European Union’s commitments as defined in the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (2015–2019) and the Council Conclusions on Business and Human Rights of June 2016. This Action Plan defines the expectations of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia about respect for human rights by economic operators. Economic operators established under Slovenian law or operating in Slovenia are obliged to respect and to protect human rights. This Action Plan also defines Slovenia’s activities to protect human rights in business operations by means of regulations and the corresponding implementing measures, through awareness raising among all stakeholders4 of the obligation to respect human rights in business operations, and by providing access to assistance in cases of violations. This Action Plan is intended to vertically align Slovenia’s strategies, laws, and procedures with the UN Guiding Principles. The objective is also to ensure horizontal harmonization, i.e. that ministries and agencies regulating business practices have appropriate qualifications and equipment, that they are aware of Slovenia’s human rights obligations, and that human rights are respected in practice.
The Republic of Slovenia adopted this Action Plan to enhance activities aimed at ensuring respect for human rights in business operations along the entire value chain, and to further develop cooperation between the state, enterprises, business associations, trade unions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders. This Action Plan outlines a set of measures and recommendations to ensure the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles; however, it creates no new legal obligations. This Action Plan commits the Republic of Slovenia to achieving the objectives of the UN Guiding Principles and of other important international mechanisms concerning business and human rights protection and promotion, e.g. the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, and social responsibility guidelines (e.g. ISO 26000, GRI Standards).
These findings were the basis for including the following priorities in this Action Plan: • Prevention of discrimination and inequality, and promotion of equal opportunities; • Promotion and protection of fundamental workers’ rights, also in transnational businesses and along the entire production chain; • Prevention of, and fight against, trafficking in human beings; • Environmental protection, nature conservation, sustainable development; • Human rights due diligence.