Doha, Qatar: Slovenia's President H E Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar has lauded Qatar's role as a mediator in global conflicts and commended the country's women leaders for their contributions to education and humanitarian efforts during her lecture titled,“Realities of Multipolarism vs the Need for Multilateralism” at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), yesterday.

“I am really happy to be here in Qatar. I do have a really good relationship with H H the Amir and we had fruitful discussions regarding the international situation on this planet,” she said.“What Qatar is doing in some regard, you know, it makes me proud of your achievements, especially when you try to be a mediator in certain conflicts. And I'm also proud on the female's part of the Qatari government. All the ladies are doing an enormous job regarding education, and some of them are helping bring Ukrainian kids back from Russia to their mothers in Ukraine.”

The lecture, held as part of President Pirc Musar's official visit to Qatar, reflects HBKU's commitment to advancing international dialogue on governance and diplomacy. Non-Resident Ambassador of Slovenia to Qatar, H E Natalia Al Mansour; HBKU President Dr. Ahmed M Hasnah and several officials, academics and students were present at the event.

The Slovenian President, HBKU President Dr. Ahmed M Hasnah, and other officials at the event yesterday.

Dr. Pirc Musar, who made history in 2022 as Slovenia's first woman president and the country's first non-partisan head of state, opened her remarks by sharing her personal and professional journey.

A lawyer by profession, she has built her career on a strong commitment to justice, transparency, and human rights.

In the first part of her lecture, President Pirc Musar stressed that“multilateralism is good for small countries, but it's also good for big countries because it gives them legitimacy to do what they are doing.” She warned against rising nationalism in global politics and reminded the audience,“Not a single country on this planet is a lonely island in the middle of the ocean. Everything is interconnected.”

Discussing reforms to the United Nations, she called for limits to the use of veto power by the Security Council's permanent members, arguing that“absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

She described proposals such as requiring explanations for veto use and involving the General Assembly in decisions. Touching on current conflicts, President Pirc Musar said Slovenia's recognition of Palestine was a moral and political decision rooted in her country's history.“We are watching the genocide in Gaza, we are quiet, and we are not doing anything,” she said, recalling her remarks to the European Parliament.

She drew parallels between the suffering in Gaza and the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica and reaffirmed Slovenia's commitment to a two-state solution and called for stronger international unity to uphold humanitarian law.

In the second part of her lecture, Dr. Pirc Musar discussed artificial intelligence and how it is connected to multilateralism; and focused on the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act, the first global attempt to regulate AI comprehensively.

She warned of the dangers of autonomous weapons and unregulated systems, calling for the United Nations to play a stronger role.“Artificial intelligence doesn't have feelings. It's just going to do whatever the command is inserted into the software system,” she said.

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Highlighting the need for ethical design, she added,“Artificial intelligence is going to be only as ethical as people who are building it.” The final part of her address focused on gender equity and representation in global governance. Here, she advocated for alternating leadership roles between men and women at the UN, and called for the appointment of the first female Secretary-General.

In her remarks on gender representation, President Pirc Musar explained that achieving equity requires adapting policies to give women real opportunities to participate fully in society. Emphasising collaboration rather than competition, she added,“The synergy between men and women can make magic.” Highlighting EU efforts to promote gender balance, she noted that listed companies must have at least one-third women on their boards, as research shows such companies perform better. She also pointed out that Slovenia now has its first female President, Foreign Minister, and Speaker of Parliament, a milestone that, she said,“was not an easy process.”

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