Allow me, at
the outset, to address my warmest congratulations to
the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-
second session. With that election, which honours your
country, the Group of Eastern European States and the
members of this Assembly have unanimously
recognized, Sir, your eminent competence and your
perfect knowledge of the Organization. You and the
other members of the Bureau may be assured of the
active cooperation of my delegation.
You have chosen the theme of climate change for
this sixty-second session. I would like to thank you for
that initiative, which has been commended by all.
Today, I would like to share my observations on
this issue as well as my personal commitment in
service of this cause. Very early on, I learned to
appreciate nature and to take the necessary measures to
protect it. From my very earliest years, I was taught to
share and to give back. Then I wanted to see and learn
things for myself, and my responsibility today is to
testify and to act.
That is why, in June 2006, I decided to make my
own contribution, as well as that of the Principality, by
creating a Foundation. The mission of the Prince
Albert II Foundation is to identify priority and
symbolic projects and to accelerate their
implementation in order to reach concrete results
throughout the world aimed at a sustainable and
equitable management of natural resources.
The Foundation’s activities are based on three
strategic principles. The first is to act alongside
nations, international institutions and opinion leaders
in order to enhance consciousness of and accelerate
decisions for sustainable development. I am personally
committed to leading consciousness-raising missions
on the ground around the world. I will also stand with
other heads of States, as I do today, and take part in
international negotiation meetings regarding the
environment.
The second objective of my Foundation is to
promote initiatives, activities and corporate actions that
combine innovation with environmental protection.
The Foundation in supporting and financing about
30 projects as of this year. Through its activities, the
Foundation also wishes to attest to the fact that it is
possible to engage in sustainable practices and
behaviour that are respectful of the environment and
compatible with economic, social and human
development.
Lastly, its third objective is to create the broadest
possible public understanding of the environmental
challenges and responsibilities involved in those issues
via outreach activities. I commit myself to devoting the
time and energy necessary to the success of those
actions.
All the programmes adopted by the Foundation
comply with the environmental policy of my country.
Monaco has long been active in protecting the marine
environment and in developing scientific research in
marine biology. The creation a century ago of the
Oceanographic Museum and the Museum of
Prehistoric Anthropology by my great-great-
grandfather Albert I, and the more recent creation of an
underwater reserve by my father, Prince Rainier III,
bear witness to that policy. The RAMOGE Agreements
for the control of marine pollution and the Agreement
on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, the
Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area
reinforced that international engagement. That vocation
is part of the history of my country.
This year, I agreed to sponsor an ambitious
international initiative launched by the United Nations
Environment Programme, the objective of which is to
provide for the planting of at least 1 billion trees
throughout the world in 2007. Seven months after the
launch of the operation, that objective was achieved. It
is an extraordinary sign of hope, and I must commend
the dynamism of the Programme, whose actions within
the United Nations are essential for the environment.
The time for action is today. We already know
that the future of humanity is at stake. This is a
collective responsibility. To tackle this urgent matter, it
is necessary to raise awareness, mobilize capacities and
revolutionize our lifestyle. That is how we will forge a
new relationship to nature. As Yves Coppens, a French
scientist, stresses: “for millennia, climate has dictated
man’s behaviour; today, it is man who dictates his
behaviour on nature”.
It is also necessary to commit ourselves to
promoting a new ethic that of the right to the
protection of the environment. What better place is
there than this prestigious institution to lead the way
forward? That new ethical dimension can be achieved
only if built on the sincere commitment of each
individual. That is why Bill Clinton, in his recent book,
calls for concrete mobilization. As he says so well,
“each one of us can give something. There is so much
to do; it is never too late to start”. Like President
Clinton, I believe that generosity is at the heart of that
mobilization.
It is thus imperative to transcend our own
selfishness and inertia, and to learn to develop a
harmonious relationship between humankind and
nature. Safeguarding our planet is the challenge of the
twenty-first century. That challenge requires courage,
tenacity, commitment and generosity. Above all, let us
act. Peter Frumhoff, one of the main contributors to the
report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, declared, following a large-scale study
undertaken by the Union of Concerned Scientists, that
“some changes are inevitable, but the worst
consequences can be avoided if we act quickly”. That
message was reiterated over and over again yesterday
during the high-level event on climate change
convened by the Secretary-General.
The European Union has shown the way by
committing to a 50 per cent reduction of its greenhouse
gases by 2050. Let us help developing countries by
finding new financial resources; let us quickly update
our modes of production and consumption. To meet
that challenge, we must work together to find solutions
to existing problems. Individual announcements or
actions will never solve the problem. The threat is
global. As the climatologist Edouard Bard has pointed
out, “global warming concerns our entire ecosystem
and the consequences of this phenomenon can be done
only at the global level”.
We have long lived in a world fraught with
threats, but for the first time we are facing a planetary
threat that threatens humankind itself. The evolution of
human mindsets and behaviour will inevitably take
time, but the planet cannot wait. Thus, without further
delay, we must adopt a culture of responsibility. We
must meet this historic challenge so that we may
preserve planet Earth for our children. Let us make the
choice of hope based on humanistic values, and let us
not forget the power of courage when it is supported by
the will to place humankind at the core of our
priorities.
There are also ethical considerations which
inspire my country’s constant and resolute commitment
in the fight against terrorism. In no circumstances can
violence ever be a legitimate means to pursue any
combat, whatever the cause may be.
To consolidate its legal framework in compliance
with international standards, and according to the
recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force
on Money Laundering (FATF), the Principality of
Monaco took measures identical to the European Union
directives adopted to fight money laundering and
terrorism. Without waiting for the new report of the
Select Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-
Money Laundering Measures, in this area, my
Government enacted new laws and regulations on these
issues. With those tireless efforts, Monaco has been
publicly recognized for leading the way in this field. I
will maintain the required vigilance so that our
legislative framework and our security policy will
continue to guarantee the reputation of the Principality
as a safe State. In so doing, I reiterate my unfaltering
determination to combat the manifestations of
terrorism regardless of their forms.
For my country, sustainable development and the
fight against poverty go hand in hand, in that we are
called upon to identify a new manner of growth more
respectful of the resources of our planet, which, while
abundant, are not inexhaustible. That is the reason why
I asked my Government to increase by 30 per cent for
the year 2008, under the heading of international
cooperation, the total of the Principality’s voluntary
contributions to the funds and programmes of the
United Nations. This significant increase of funding for
official development assistance is proof my country’s
determination to eventually reach the target of devoting
0.7 per cent of gross national income to official
development assistance. A great deal remains to be
done in the fields of education, access to health care,
the fight against pandemics and HIV/AIDS, human
crises following natural disasters or conflicts and,
lastly, the fight against poverty.
I pay particular attention to the Principality’s
actions through multilateral and bilateral assistance
programmes, supplemented by the generous initiatives
of the charitable organizations in Monaco, which are
also part of my country’s tradition.
Children’s welfare has, for a long time, been a
priority commitment for the Principality. My sister,
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Hanover, is
actively involved with this issue through the World
Association of Children’s Friends (AMADE
Mondiale). In December, the General Assembly will
hold a debate to evaluate progress in the
implementation of the Declaration and Plan of Action
entitled “A world fit for children” (resolution S-27/2),
adopted in 2002. Considerable progress has been
achieved in five years, although there still are too many
needs to be met.
Monaco has also joined the campaign entitled
“Unite for children. Unite against AIDS,” sponsored by
UNICEF, the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health
Organization. My sister, Princess Stephanie, Special
Representative of UNAIDS, has committed herself
wholeheartedly to harnessing the energies of the
Principality and beyond to advance in the fight against
this scourge.
Reform of the Security Council remains a current
issue. I reaffirm my country’s support for a process of
increasing the membership of this Council. In fact, the
chances of maintaining international peace and security
will be that much greater if the representation of the
international community in the Security Council were
the most equitable possible.
I also express the wish that the newly established
Department of Field Support, working alongside the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations, will facilitate
the actions of United Nations personnel on the ground
working valiantly to safeguard peace. I congratulate
the Secretary-General on the efforts he has undertaken
to these ends.
My country became a Member of the United
Nations 14 years ago. Ever since, the Principality has
increased its participation on the international scene.
The Principality has taken pleasure in hosting many
international meetings and high-level conferences in
recent years.
Accordingly, I am delighted that in February
2008, the tenth special session of the Governing
Council of United Nations Environment Programme
and the Global Ministerial Environment Forum will be
held in Monaco. On that occasion, I will proudly
receive ministers of the environment of Member States
to discuss topics similar to those we are tackling within
the General Assembly framework and thus to continue
the debate launched here. In so doing, my country will,
I hope, contribute once again its part to the
fundamental debates of our time and will reaffirm its
will to be at the heart of the genuine struggle.