Danilo Türk

Danilo Türk was President of the Republic of Slovenia between 2007 and 2012. Dr Türk is a diplomat, professor of law and international relations, a member of the UN Human Rights Committee, and has served as UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs. In 2010, he founded the Let Them Dream — Danilo Türk Foundation, an NGO which provides assistance to children who have been victims of violence.

Quotable Quotes

“The vision of the Secretary-General must encompass the legitimate expectations of civil society, the private sector and academia that play key roles in this age of global communications and global economic interdependence and should be involved in the realization of the global vision of the UN. Traditional multilateral diplomacy is more horizontally structured, with increasing cooperation with non-governmental actors.”

“Social cohesion and sustainability of peace must be the ultimate objectives of post conflict peace building lest situations of fragile peace relapse into wars.”

“A global security understanding involving all states is imperative and proposals could be presented by the Secretary-General … In the context of the perilous trends affecting international peace and security today, it is urgent to intensify efforts by the UN and its Member States to develop greater understanding among different cultures and acceptance of their diversity, which would be one of my priorities.”

“It is possible to respect both human rights and state sovereignty by judicious multilateral cooperation.”

“Regrettably, the UN is at a point where, far too often, operational deficiencies and "silo mentalities" seem to dominate and where the written proclamation is distant from requirements of effective action. Accordingly, operational improvements in our rapidly changing world are essential. I would assign high priority to streamlining the bureaucratic processes that have become an obstacle to efficient management.”