Nekateri izbrani vidiki prakse s področja diplomatskega in konzularnega prava v Sloveniji

Slovenija kot suverena država v svojih odnosih z drugimi subjekti mednarodnega prava spoštuje in uporablja pravila ter načela diplomatskega in konzularnega prava. Po razpadu nekdanje SFRJ je nasledila temeljne mednarodne pogodbe diplomatskega in konzularnega prava ter sprejela ustrezne notranje predpise. Poleg slovenske ustave osrednje mesto zasedajo zakon o zunanjih zadevah in predpisi, sprejeti v okviru ministrstva za zunanje zadeve. Po skoraj dveh desetletjih teorije in prakse diplomatskega in konzularnega prava v Sloveniji ta članek ponuja pregled nekaterih temeljnih značilnosti tega razvoja, s posebnim poudarkom na posameznih izbranih vidikih, vključno z novim razvojem na področju nudenja konzularne pomoči državljanom EU s strani držav članic EU v tretjih državah, saj se je ta pomoč za slovenske državljane v praksi izkazala za izjemno pomembno. Pri posamezni obravnavani temi so podani tudi določeni zaključki in predlogi za prihodnje urejanje teh vprašanj.As a sovereign state, in its interaction with other subjects of international law, Slovenia respects and implements the rules and principles of diplomatic and consular law. Following the dissolution of the former SFRY it succeeded to all the core treaties of diplomatic and consular law and adopted relevant domestic legislation. In addition to the Slovenian Constitution, the Foreign Affairs Act and regulations adopted within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hold central importance. After nearly two decades of theory and practice of diplomatic and consular law in Slovenia, this article offers an overview of some basic features of this development, with a particular emphasis on individual selected aspects, including new developments in the area of consular assistance offered to EU citizens by EU member states in third countries, as this assistance has proven to be very important for Slovenian nationals in practice. When assessing each selected topic some conclusions and proposals for the future regulation of these issues are presented

Korupcija kao važna zapreka ostvarenja ljudskih prava: odgovor UN-ova Odbora za ljudska prava

The article first briefly discusses the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, particularly civil and political rights, and States parties’ obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to then focus on a critical analysis of the UN Human Rights Committee’s practice (HRC), demonstrating that corruption is no longer only occasionally mentioned within differently focused substantive paragraphs of concluding observations, but features prominently, often as a standalone separate concern, followed by specific and detailed recommendations. Such development signals the recognition by the HRC of important interlinkages between corruption and serious effects on a number of ICCPR’s rights. The conclusion offers some thoughts on possible evolution on the issue within the HRC, with the objective of ensuring full realisation and enjoyment of civil and political human rights.Prepoznajući da korupcija postoji u svim zemljama, neovisno o ekonomskom ili političkom sustavu i njihovu stupnju razvijenosti, u članku se najprije kratko razmatra negativni utjecaj korupcije na ostvarenje ljudskih prava, posebno građanskih i političkih prava, te se skiciraju obaveze država stranaka prema Međunarodnom paktu o građanskim i političkim pravima (ICCPR). Središnja je tema kritička analiza prakse UN-ova Odbora za ljudska prava (HRC), koji je osnovan kao ugovorno tijelo na temelju ICCPR-a 1976. godine, kroz njegove tri glavne funkcije: monitoring – nadzor nad državama strankama kroz “konstruktivni dijalog”; usvajanje odluka (stavova) o pojedinačnim komunikacijama i razvijanje općih komentara, koji služe kao tumačenja prava ICCPR-a i mjerodavne smjernice za domaće i međunarodne vlasti. Dokazuje se da se korupcija više ne spominje samo povremeno u puno dužim odlomcima zaključnih zapažanja, već se naglašava na istaknutom mjestu, često kao samostalno istaknuto zapažanje, nakon čega slijede konkretne i detaljne preporuke. Takav razvoj događaja upućuje na to da HRC prepoznaje važne poveznice između korupcije i ozbiljnih učinaka na niz prava ICCPR-a. U zaključku su ponuđena neka razmišljanja o mogućem razvoju pristupa pitanju u okviru HRC-a, također prepoznajući transnacionalni karakter korupcije, zbog čega svaka učinkovita strategija borbe protiv nje mora biti specifična za kontekst, sveobuhvatna i često zahtijeva međunarodnu suradnju. HRC davanjem smjernica državama strankama, preporučujući im potrebne zakonodavne, političke i druge mjere za učinkovito sprečavanje i suzbijanje korupcije, mobilizaciju resursa za borbu protiv korupcije i osiguravanje pune reparacije za žrtve korupcije, može znatno pridonijeti naporima usmjerenima na uklanjanje korupcije kao glavnog inhibitora ljudskih prava s ciljem osiguravanja njihova punog ostvarenja i uživanja

The Right to Safe Drinking Water in International Law and in Slovenia’s legal framework and implementation

According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, a total of 2.1 billion people globally lack access to safe, readily available water at home. Given the rapid population growth, demand for water has been consistently on the rise, while its available quantity has been decreasing due to its unsustainable use. Despite widespread international support for the recognition of the right to safe drinking water, which was also demonstrated by the adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation in 2010, progress achieved at international and national levels reveals significant remaining challenges, including huge inequalities between and within countries in accessing basic water services. In Slovenia, drinking water supply, for which data on water quality are available, is provided to almost 90% of the population, and in 2016, Slovenia amended its Constitution and explicitly included the universal right to drinking water (Article 70a). This article discusses the existence and normative content of the right to safe drinking water, both in international and Slovene legal contexts. Furthermore, it critically accessed the adequacy of legal protection of access to safe drinking water and analysed Slovenia9s obligations in relation to this right. Hence, in addition to looking into the normative content of the right, it also discusses whether the desired effects are already recognizable in practice, particularly focusing on the situation in Slovenia. The article also includes some de lege ferenda proposals, which competent authorities might wish to consider when further developing a normative framework or concrete policy measures