At the outset, allow me to express my most heartfelt condolences to the authorities of Morocco and Libya following the devastating events that have taken place in those two countries. I would like to express Monaco’s solidarity and support to the Moroccan and Libyan people, who have shown remarkable courage and resilience in these particularly trying times.
In 1993.1 took the floor for the first time from this rostrum as Head of the Delegation of the Principality of Monaco to address the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session (see A/48/PV.5).
As my country celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of its admission last spring, my determination to ensure that Monaco contributes actively to achieving the aims of the Charter of the United Nations is all the stronger as the challenges that threaten us continue to grow and compel us to act.
This year we are celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I would like to pay tribute here to the passionate commitment of Eleanor Roosevelt, who played a decisive role in the drafting of that historic document aimed at ensuring that every human being, anywhere, can enjoy their inalienable rights.
In recent decades, the United Nations has been at the heart of progress that only multilateralism can generate: from the Agenda for Peace, adopted in 1992 at the first Security Council Summit; to the Agenda for Development, adopted in 1997 by the General Assembly; to the Millennium Development Goals in 2000; and the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. We owe those significant advances to our collegiality.
Monaco was still an observer at the United Nations when my Father. Prince Rainier III. decided to take part in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Rio Conference, which adopted Agenda 21 and what are commonly known as the Rio conventions. Our participation in the Earth Summit was one of the triggers for the Principality’s wish to apply for full membership in the community of nations that sits in this illustrious Hall.
Respect for the environment and wildlife on land and at sea. as well as support for science, have been fundamental priorities for the Princes of Monaco over the centuries. Today, what was an unwavering commitment has become an obligation for our survival. That is why Monaco signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and. subsequently, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Those international treaties, although subsequently supplemented, continue to guide our actions to preserve the planet from an environmental catastrophe that could wipe out all progress.
In that respect. I would like to emphasize the extent to which the enhancement of international law is an underestimated success of our cooperative efforts within the United Nations and recall that, since its admission to the United Nations, the State of Monaco has become a party to some fifty international treaties, covering a wide range of subjects such as human rights, disarmament, the environment and the law of the sea.
Over the past year, multilateralism has once again demonstrated its strength and effectiveness in certain areas, thanks to perseverance. In December, we reached an historic milestone by adopting the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. A few months later, we managed to conclude almost two decades of negotiations by finalizing the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty, which I had the honour of signing just a few hours ago. I am convinced that this binding legal instrument will mark another decisive step for the protection and preservation of the seas and oceans. Those victories, which are the fruits of our collective efforts, should give us hope because beyond the ocean and biodiversity, they embody the very potential of the United Nations: that of building common structures that allow for improved coexistence in harmony with nature.
Furthermore. I believe it is essential to recognize that those new instruments offer us powerful tools to combat climate change. Among Aboriginal or island
peoples, the sea is a being in its own right. The crucial role of seas and oceans in climate regulation is now clearly recognized and allows us to approach that challenge holistically. Make no mistake: we can win the climate battle only by moving forward towards achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals, which we established together eight years ago. We must not waste another moment. Extreme climatic events, floods, droughts and fires, whose frequency and intensity continue to increase, are already causing millions of individuals to suffer and require that we take urgent and drastic action.
Physical changes to the marine environment and coastal areas, ocean acidification and sea level rise are other phenomena that pose threats to the very existence of coastal communities in many countries. The desire of the Secretary-General to bring together the leaders of States, representatives of private institutions and civil society in the framework of the Climate Ambition Summit could not be timelier given that the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has alerted us once again to the inadequacy of our collective efforts to combat that planetary scourge. Several months ago. we began the initial process of assessing the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. That global assessment, which will culminate at the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, cannot be allowed to fail. On the contrary, we must seize the last opportunity offered to us to correct our course with a view to limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Let us face the facts: profound and sometimes difficult changes to our lifestyles and our collective organizations are essential and must be made rapidly. We must also step up our solidarity so that justice and equity are the key words of this transition phase. In that context. Monaco wishes to assume its share of responsibility. The Government of Monaco will therefore contribute to the reconstitution of the Green Climate Fund in the amount of €3.3 million for the period 2024-2027. That represents an increase of 10 per cent as compared to the previous period, even though Monaco is already the leading donor per capita to that instrument that is so crucial to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
For more than a century. Monaco has led the way in trying to establish better coexistence between people and the sea. Ten years after the adoption of the Samoa Pathway, the question of the oceans will once again be at the centre of the work of the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, which will be held in 2024. and the third United Nations Ocean Conference, which will be held in Nice in 2025 under the chairmanship of France and Costa Rica. Monaco has decided to actively collaborate with the organizers of that conference and will host discussions on the blue economy, the conclusions of which will hopefully enrich that work.
While the still unexplained phenomenon of cooling in the Eastern Pacific Ocean challenges researchers, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development offers us an opportunity to better understand the complex phenomenon of climate change. What major countries have achieved in space should be accomplished for our oceans. While we look for the presence of water on the planet Mars, we had to wait a generation before holding another conference on water last March, under the leadership of the President of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly. The young people of our nations place before us a crucial responsibility: that of ensuring the preservation of the air they breathe, the land on which they grow and the seas and oceans that are the cradle of humankind and the key to its survival. That fight will never end.
Conflict also seriously damages the environment and poses an additional obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It has been nearly 600 days since Russia made the decision, in violation of international law. to launch large-scale aggression against Ukraine. The Assembly has denounced that aggression, as well as its humanitarian and environmental consequences, on several occasions. I would like to express once again the solidarity of my country in the face of those tragic events and the destruction endured every day by civilian population. As in all conflicts, fighting and bombing generate pollution of the soil and water with toxic substances. Countless protected natural areas have been destroyed, while damage to critical infrastructure increases the risk of polluted drinking water and the spread of disease. Moreover, it is inconceivable that in the twenty-first century health personnel should be regularly assaulted and health infrastructure should be attacked in different conflict zones. I therefore call once again for the protection of those professional and civilian populations.
With the world barely recovering from the coronavirus disease pandemic. I would like to welcome
the organization of three high-level meetings dedicated to major public health issues this week. We must learn from the experiences of the pandemic to strengthen global governance and build strong and resilient health systems.
Among the questions and existential threats for our civilization, there is one that has taken on overwhelming proportions in recent years. I refer to artificial intelligence, which carries with it both immense potential for accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and unprecedented risks for global peace and security. The quest for innovation is part of human nature and deserves our support when directed at the improvement of the lives of our populations. While there may be a certain fascination with the benefits of digital tools that simplify our daily lives, we cannot neglect their dangers. Artificial intelligence often proves to be more efficient and reliable than humans in many tasks. However, as Aesop observed, it may be either the best or the worst thing to happen to humankind.
Cyberattacks using artificial intelligence are already targeting critical infrastructure such as hospitals and United Nations humanitarian aid operations. The security and arms industry exploit those techniques, the potential of which raises ethical questions. Can we let a machine decide the life or death of a human being? Those questions demonstrate the obligation that we all have to establish a global governance framework and ethical standards that impose limits on the use of artificial intelligence. The conclusion of ongoing work in that area is therefore of the utmost urgency. In that regard. I welcome all the work aimed at developing a high-level consultative body within the United Nations to work on the international governance of artificial intelligence.
While reaffirming its role as a moderator and its peaceful tradition. I remain convinced of the central role of the United Nations in rebuilding trust and awakening global solidarity. That requires joint efforts anchored in a strong multilateral system that is faithful to the values and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. I conclude by expressing the hope that we will succeed in improving the efficiency of our Organization so that it can fully achieve its initial mission: that of preserving peace between nations and the well-being of our common humanity.