Draft:Bled Strategic Forum

The Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) serves as an international platform for discussions and idea exchange regarding contemporary societal issues and future challenges. It aims to promote sustainability and offer strategic solutions to pressing global problems.

With a focus on inclusivity and diversity, the Bled Strategic Forum brings together stakeholders from various backgrounds to share their perspectives through events, discussions, roundtables, projects, analyses, and publications.

The Bled Strategic Forum is a project of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. It is organised jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and the Centre for European Perspective.

The Bled Strategic Forum International Conference
The annual Bled Strategic Forum International Conference, hosted in Bled, Slovenia, is a leading gathering in Central and South-Eastern Europe since its establishment in 2006. Participants from diverse fields convene to exchange views and generate ideas on addressing present and future challenges. Additionally, the conference facilitates networking opportunities with regional and global stakeholders. The Forum takes place annually at the end of the summer, each year under a different title that guides the content of the discussions. Furthermore, the content of the discussions is influenced by the following four thematic pillars: 1) Global Europe, 2) Emerging technologies, 3) Sustainable societies and 4) World community.

As an initiative of the Republic of Slovenia, the Bled Strategic Forum reflects the nation's commitment to fostering constructive dialogue on global issues. Through its activities, the forum contributes to advancing discussions and seeking sustainable solutions.

History
Bled Strategic Forum was launched in 2006, at a time when Slovenia was firmly embarking on its path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration upon joining the EU and NATO in 2004. The venue – Bled – was chosen for its picturesque Alpine setting and prominence. From the very beginning, the BSF was intended to become an informal platform where high-level participants from different backgrounds could gather and discuss a variety of political, security and development challenges confronting Europe and the world.

Since its beginnings, Bled Strategic Forum has grown into a leading international conference in Central and South-Eastern Europe. In 2011 the programme of the BSF was enriched with the Young Bled Strategic Forum. Since then, Young BSF has grown from a one-day side event into a self-standing, yet inalienably interwoven with the BSF, three-day international conference for youth participants.

Notable speakers

 * Charles Michel, President of the European Council
 * Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
 * Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union, Europe's great responsibility, 2020
 * Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
 * María Fernanda Espinosa, President of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly
 * Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly

The Bled Pledge
In his speech to the attendees of the Bled Strategic Forum International Conference in 2023, Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, set the goal for the EU and the Western Balkans to be ready for Enlargement by 2030. This speech is known as the Bled Pledge.

Topics

 * 2023: Solidarity for Global Security
 * 2022: The Rule of Power or the Power of Rules?
 * 2021: Future of Europe
 * 2020: Neighbours – Regions – Global World: Partners or Rivals?: Challenges and Opportunities in the Post-COVID–19 World
 * 2019: (Re)sources of (In)stability
 * 2018: Bridging the Divide
 * 2017: New Reality
 * 2016: Safeguarding the Future
 * 2015: Visions of New Partnerships
 * 2014: Power of Trust
 * 2013: A Changing Europe in a Changing World
 * 2012: Europe and the Reshaped Global Order
 * 2011: The Power of Future
 * 2010: Global Outlook for the Next Decade
 * 2009: The Politics of Economic Crisis: Redefining Economic and Geopolitical Landscapes in Europe and Eurasia
 * 2008: Energy and Climate Change: Si.nergy for the Future
 * 2007: European Union 2020: Enlarging and Integrating
 * 2006: Political Reform and Sustainable Development in the South Caucasus

Other engagements
In order to expand the Bled Strategic Forum into a year-round platform, the organisation seizes the opportunity to collaborate with similar global conferences and organizations. These partnerships entail roundtable discussions and panels focusing on topics endorsed by the BSF.

In 2024, Bled Strategic Forum co-organized a debate at the Munich Security Conference. BSF has attended the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. Later, it partnered with Center for China and Globalization for a round table on Climate Change and Global Resilience in Beijing.

Young Bled Strategic Forum
The Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF) serves as a distinctive forum where a diverse array of young leaders convenes, providing them with a platform to articulate their visions, exchange ideas, and foster connections with fellow emerging figures in politics, activism, diplomacy, and academia worldwide. Annually, it attracts a cohort of young leaders, facilitating interactive dialogues on pertinent challenges and exploring innovative approaches to crafting solutions. Regarded as a hub for generating ideas, the Young BSF has emerged as a catalyst for driving change.

The Young BSF model is growing and changing every year. Topics change and ideas evolve, but the main objectives of the Young BSF are clear. Young BSF aims to bring together the most prominent young leaders from Slovenia and abroad and offer them a creative atmosphere for discussion and networking.

History
The first Young BSF took place in 2011 under the title ‘The power of the future’. It was established with the aim of bringing together aspiring students and prospective young professionals from the diplomatic, academic, and think-thank fields in both Europe and the Mediterranean region.

Since then, the Young BSF has developed from a one-day side event with a couple of the discussions happening on the outskirts of the BSF into three-day separate international conference for young participants from all over the world. Young BSF is a separate event, yet connected with the BSF.

Topics

 * 2023: Mitigating our Butterfly Effect
 * 2022: Democracy fit for the new age
 * 2021: Future of Europe: Youth at the Centre
 * 2020: Reinventing the Role of Youth in Society
 * 2019: Youth as a (future) (re)source
 * 2018: Sustainable Security: The Role of Youth in Bridging the Divide
 * 2017: The (Dis)connected Reality
 * 2016: Generation of Global Citizens
 * 2015: Building the Future
 * 2014: Potential of Trust
 * 2013: The Clash of Generations
 * 2012: Young BSF
 * 2011: The Power of the Future