Considering all integration processes going on in Europe today, the tenth anniversary of the IPA Section Slovenia or our participation in this largest international police organisation could be seen as something normal and logical. But, was it so a decade ago? Of course that was not the case since the majority of its present members did not know anything about this association, its mission and what a police officer could find in it. However, these words do not apply for 44 of our colleagues who, as founders, on April 1991 at Gozd Martuljek self-confidently approved the Statute of the association and elected the first leadership of the IPA Section Slovenia. The activities of almost 6.000 of our members today, is a large number in comparison with other, even larger States, prove that their wishes and efforts were right. The merit of the founders from Gozd Martuljek there- fore deserves even greater respect ten years later, since they were the first ones to feel what IPA could offer to Slovenian police and especially to Slovenian policemen and what anyone of us could do for this largest police family in the world. During the ten years of our activities, uncountable ties were made which are of great importance for the IPA and promise its further growth. Enabling unhindered contacts and reunions, mutual exchanges, assistance, education and establishing friendly relationships are just some of the aims that stimulate more and more of our members to form active contacts with colleagues all over the world, besides our professional mission, with colleagues that identify themselves through the word IPA and our greeting SERVO PER AMIKECO. We can be proud that we can, by participating in international forms of education, through organisation of many international meetings and through uncountable encounters in sport, social, collectors' and other areas, contribute a lot to the success of the police work at home and abroad. Today, ten years later, the IPA Section Slovenia is organised into 9 regional clubs, we have our own review, and accordinq to the opinion of our foreiqn colleaques, we belong among better national sections, due to our organisation and national and international sport, cultural, social and other activities. Our delegates participate actively within international bodies of the IPA, however, the most important is the co-operation and meeting of large numbers of our IPA members with the members of foreign sections at various events and meetings.

And how does the chronology of our first decade looks like?

The chronology of the foundation of the IPA Section Slovenia First meeting of the Initiative Committee (hereinafter: IC) for the foundation of the association IPA Slovenia-YU was held on July 14, 1990 at the Club of the IAA Maribor. At the meeting participated: Branko Celar, Mitja Klavora, Zvone Rozman, Milan Zorec, lvo Usar, Joze Veldin, Roman Jeglic and Pavie Celik. The Austrian Section was represented by Dr.Huber Holier and Adi Stegner. At this meeting it was decided to proceed with the foundation of the association IPA Slovenia with members associated in the Austrian Section.

Austrian representatives promised assistance with international association and with the formation of the Initiative Committee as an independent preliminary body of the IPA Slovenia in foundation. The IC for IPA Section Slovenia organised on 10.11.1990 at the Police School at Kotnikova ulica in Ljubljana, the first assembly of associated members of IPA Section Austria from Slovenia. 21 out of 28 associate members participated at this meeting, which was chaired by Zvone Rozman . At this meeting, the activities carried out so far as well as the first draft of the Statute were discussed, and the tasks for the foundation of the IPA Society Slovenia were distributed.The third meeting of the IC was held on 11.03.1991 at Gozd Martuljek. Its members reviewed the accomplished work and the preparations for the Founding Assembly.The fourth meeting of the IC for the foundation of International IPA Association Slovenia took place on 21.03.1991 in Ljubljana, Kotnikova 8. At this meeting the proposed date of the Founding Assembly (April 20, 1991) was accepted and the programme of the event, including its financial plan, was prepared. The IC for the foundation of the IPA Slovenia convened the second assembly of all founding members of the IPA Slovenia on April 6, 1991 in Ljubljana. Out of 47 associated members 37 were present and they passed the decision to convene the founding assembly, constitutive acts, the programme of the founding assembly and proposed the first candidate list for the bodies of the assembly. The sixth meeting of the IC took place on April 18, 1991 at Kotnikova 8 in Ljubljana. Final preparations before the assembly were carried out and a detailed financial structure of the founding assembly was prepared. The Founding Assembly of the IPA Slovenia-YU was held on April 20, 1991 in Hotel Spik at Gozd Martuljek. There were 44 founding members (out of 47) present, official delegations of IPA Sections Austria, Italy and Hungary, invited guests and the then State Secretary for Internal Affairs, Mr. lgor Bavcar. At the Founding Assembly all acts, needed for the work of the Section were passed and the first leadership of the IPA Section Slovenia-YU was elected. The first president of the Association became Mr. Milan Zorec.

The roots of the birth of Slovenian section of IPA reach as far back as into the seventies, when individuals from the then militia (milica) made first contacts with the members and officials of IPA from Austria and Italy. This some of them participated also at some events, of which, of course, they did not speak openly, since it could cause them serious problems, at that time, due to suspiciousness of the authorities. During the eighties the scope of co-operation with police forces from neighbouring countries increased considerably and more and more it was accompanied by the cognition that opportunities for informal meetings with our colleagues on the other side of the borders are not very far away. At the end of the eighties, first ideas appeared about the foundation of Slovenian section of the IPA. There were more and more spontaneous friendly contacts as well as the participation of our police officers at various events abroad. Thus, in July 1990, a group of seven members of the initiative committee for the establishment of the Slovenian organisation of IPA met in Maribor. We have to stress the fact that the foundation process had been followed all the time by the assistance from the IPA Section Austria, especially by the representatives of the regional group from Styria, and from the IPA Section Italy. Through their help some tens of members of Slovenian police became associated members of the two national sections and organised an organisational committee and thus made the second step, followed by the Founding Assembly on April 20th 1991 at Gozd Martuljek.An important step forward for the promotion of the IPA mission was made on June 7, 1 991 with the foundation of the Regional Club for Koroska, Stajerska and Prekmurje, soon followed by the establishment of other regional clubs of Gorenjska (February 21, 1992), Primorska (May 29,1992), Dolenjska (June 6, 1992) and Koroska (November 6, 1992). Through this, IPA Slovenia started its direct and active life among policemen, it became recognisable for its own activities, co-operation with foreign sections and participation at numerous professional and social meetings and thus acquired more and more members.The aggression against Slovenia did not stop our activities. During that time we linked ourselves with our fellow policemen all over the world and the first to respond were the colleagues from Land group Styria that sent help for our injured colleagues, followed right after by the colleagues from the Land group Carinthia and from Italy.The next step was official admission of our national section in the International Association. This happened on November 6th, 1992 at Rio de Janeiro, where we proudly became 54th fully empowered member of this largest organisation of policemen in the world, which has enormous international respect. Friends from 53 States accepted us among themselves unanimously and with open sympathies.The organisation of activities through regional club went on with the establishment of the Regional Clul Pomurje (February 20, 1993), Regional Club Celje (June 2 1993), Regional Club Ljubljana (June 4, 1993) and Regional Club Koper-Postojna (March 2, 1996). This concluded ou initial efforts for the most suitably organised activit' throughout the national territory.

The management of the IPA Sections Austria and Italy help us altruistically and with a lot of enthusiasm since the very beginning with the establishment and the organisation of the IPA Section Slovenia, and also decisively supported us during the procedures for the admission in the international association. The association with them contributed a lot to quicker development of our section, since, without their inestimable help we would not be able to put our work on such broad and daring positions. We would like to thank our friends again for all their assistance and tutoring.

A new impulse and affirmation of our Section in the world was given by our first congress, then the congress of the already recognised IPA Section Slovenia, which took place in Ljubljana in March 1993. At the same time the session of the international Permanent Executive Bureau (PEB) was held in Ljubljana as well. We were honoured by being able to host the PEB in Ljubljana and we had a chance to present ourselves more in detail to our foreign friends. We must not forget that Slovenian statehood was still being built at that time and that we in the IPA made our best to contribute to the affirmation of Slovenia throughout the world and to build much needed recognition of Slovenia as a new State. Ever since the beginning, the international co-operation is one of the main tasks of Slovenian section. We established a very good co-operation with international bodies of the IPA and we always tried to get broadest possible participation of our members at various events and meetings with members from foreign Sections. Such approach has from the very beginning of the existence of our Section led to many close links in all possible ways and on all levels and also reinforced our annual international events, like the rafting on the Kolpa River, mountaineering days in Gorenjska, New Year's Ball, fishing on the River Soca, the tennis tournament in Ljubljana and football tournament at Maribor and many other events organised by regional clubs all over Slovenia. The programme of the work accepted at the first congress was carried out entirely. At the extraordinary congress of the IPA Section, held on October 22 at Lucija, the new initiatives for joint programme work and an overview of the contents were accepted. On that occasion better plans for the work of the professional, social and cultural commission were prepared and new leadership was elected. The Executive Board of the Section made efforts to provide a harmonised functioning of regional clubs within accepted development plan and broad exchange of experiences for the work of the entire Section. The second congress of our Section took place on Seotember 21 . 1996 at Podcetrtek. At this congress it was evaluated that the Slovenian IPA, which at that time counti ed 3.500 members, achieved considerable working success at home and abroad during its five years of existence. Many events organised in Slovenia became traditional. Our members participated more frequently at international ' meetings, professional conferences and seminars in the field of road traffic, prevention of drug trafficking and fight against organised crime - it means in the fields of 1 police work that by their nature demand close international co-operation. Our participation in international management of the IPA was successful as well, since the activities of permanent Slovenian representative in the IEC were followed by the inclusion of the representative of our section in the International Personnel Commission of the IPA.We shouldn't forget the Safety Forum Alpe-Adria, which was organised together with the Ministry of the Interior from May 30 to June 1, 1999 and was dedicated ; to road safety within the area of Alps and Adriatic. 118 representatives from Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Austria and Hungary participated at this forum; twelve papers were presented on that event, but the most important was the possibility for direct exchange of knowledge and making acauaintances. which are imaortant for further work.

At this congress the proposal was passed for the change of regional clubs into societies and the Association into Association of societies. Other important step was taken also in the field of membership with the acceptance of the proposal to include also the candidates of the Ministry of Justice with police powers (prison guards) among our members. Our future plans of work include organisation of professional meetings of police employees, a more active participation in educational activities at Gimborn, active co-operation and presentation of opinions on certain professional topics within the police, foundation of the IPA house, the increase of regional branching through the establishment of new reaional and local oraanisations. etc.

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