On Thursday, 21 April 2016, the Water Institute of the Republic of Slovenia organised a round-table discussion entitled ‘How do we handle the right to drinking water in Slovenia?’ at the Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture.
We have summarised the round table discussion, incorporating contributions from almost all the experts who took part, in a document setting out the commitments that should accompany the enshrinement of the right to drinking water in the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia.
The document is available in the appendix and is intended as expert guidance for all initiatives seeking to enshrine the right to drinking water in the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia.
Following an address by Mr Igor Plestenjak, Director of the Water Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, the discussion was opened with a brief presentation by our guest, Ms Maude Barlow, an internationally recognised activist for the recognition of the right to water, Chair of the organisation ‘Food and Water Watch’ and former water adviser to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, opened the discussion with a brief presentation.
On the topic of the right to drinking water as a fundamental human right and the principles that should be taken into account when enshrining this right in the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, we were also joined by Slovenian experts from various fields affected by the right to drinking water:
- Dr Vasilka Sancin, Faculty of Law (University of Ljubljana) – Vice-Dean and Head of the Department of International Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana
- Dr Pavel Gantar, retired associate professor of spatial sociology
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Dr Tjaša Griessler Bulc, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Head of the Institute for the Transfer and Application of Knowledge
- Brane Golubovič, Civil Initiative for Slovenia
- Dr Lidija Globevnik, Slovenian Water Managers’ Association, Chair
- Dr Milenko Roš, Slovenian Water Protection Society, Member of the Executive Board of the International Water Association (IWA)
- Dr Marjetka Levstek, Slovenian Water Protection Society – President, Head of the Laboratory and Development Projects at the Domžale–Kamnik Central Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Bonia Miljavac, MD, Specialist in Hygiene, National Institute of Public Health, Head of the Novo Mesto Regional Unit
The discussion was moderated by Andrej Gnezda from Umanotera, which also helped organise the event. The discussion revealed multiple perspectives on the enshrinement of the right to drinking water in the Constitution. We heard about technical, legal, anthropocentric and other aspects. You can see more highlights from the event in the attached photographs.
Conclusions of the round-table discussion
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