Prime Minister Robert Golob believes the most important task of the UN and the Security Council is to reach a ceasefire in all conflicts and ensure an uninterrupted supply of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan. But he also says it sometimes feels like tilting at the windmills.

"If we mustered that political will, it would produce results, end the suffering immediately and bring hope," Golob told the Slovenian Press Agency about what he believes is the most urgent task ahead of the general debate of world leaders opening the 79th UN General Assembly session.

"We need to take a step towards trust, because of the mentioned conflicts trust in the international community has been completely lost, and it is almost impossible to build on collective action. This obviously does not mean that individuals and countries like Slovenia can stand waiting to take action. We must keep working," he said.

"My appeal at the Summit of the Future on Sunday went in that direction. We are developing a digital ecosystem for better water management and we know that the best results will come when we are able to create global partnerships to cover the whole world and in this way solve the water problem worldwide."

Reform of UN Security Council

This month Slovenia holds the presidency of the Security Council, without which the world organisation cannot take the most important global decisions. Asked whether Slovenia had chosen Leadership for Peace as the right theme for the UN Security Council special session, Golob answered in the positive.

"I believe we have chosen an excellent theme because it is very topical but also forward-looking. Unfortunately, the Security Council is unable to carry out its basic mission in any of the major conflicts today.

"That is why we have put all three major conflicts under the same magnifying glass on the table - Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan. At the same time, we want to start a debate on how to change the way the Security Council works going forward to prevent future conflicts," the prime minister said.

"I believe the topic will provide many good starting points. But it is true that sometimes one feels like Don Quixote tilting at windmills. But that is no reason to give up. We have to persevere, after all, this is what the future of humanity is forcing us to do," said Golob, who will chair the special session on 25 September.

The Security Council needs to reform because its structure with the US, Russia, China, the UK and France as the five permanent members with the veto power has been the same since the UN's creation. Golob advocates two major changes.

"One is having representation that would better reflect the global reality. The second is that the role of the veto should be reduced in some way. Today, the permanent members have the right to block any decision at any time and I believe this should be abolished at least when some of the worst violations are concerned."

He believes the solution is to slowly move towards a qualified majority, so that no single country can block a decision.

Praise for Slovenia's role

Golob is taking part for the first time in the UN General Assembly session, which brings the leaders of 193 UN member states to New York. His first impressions are positive.

"I must say that the whole world knows Slovenia. Not only as the country that currently holds the presidency of the Security Council, but as a country that strictly defends the UN's true principles and the Charter.

"Wherever I go, I hear Slovenia, thank you for Palestine, thank you for having the same standards, thank you for protecting the reputation of the whole of Europe. This is repeated at every opportunity and we can be proud of Slovenia," Golob said.

He also praised the Slovenian diplomatic team in New York for doing a phenomenal job. "That is the other thing I hear. I hear praise for Slovenia and its mission. I know there's unity on the team and that is why the results are so good," he said.

Golob will be in New York until 27 September, when he is scheduled to address the General Assembly, and in the meantime, he will chair the Security Council meeting on Ukraine on 25 September.

He met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 23 September where Golob's office said Guterres thanked Slovenia for its consistent foreign policy.

Golob also delivered the keynote at an event organised by the charity Save the Children. Urging a stop to the children, schools and aid workers being taken as military targets, Golob thanked everyone who help children in Gaza and the West Bank.