Monaco, 1998

The principality of Monaco is particularly

pleased that you, Mr. President, are carrying out the high

functions and responsibilities of this fifty-third session of

our General Assembly. Your election by acclamation

bears witness to the confidence that the international

community has placed in your personal qualities and in

your experience. It is also a manifestation of the respect

that Member States have for your country, Uruguay.

I would also like to include the newly elected

members of the Bureau in my cordial congratulations to

you and in the wishes for success that I extend to you.

It is also a pleasant duty for me to pay a most

earnest and sincere tribute to Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko,

who presided with such great talent and effectiveness over

the fifty-second of the Assembly.

Geography often dictates the fate of a nation. This

is particularly true for the Principality of Monaco, whose

life and development for centuries have depended on the

sea. So it is that my country has always attached great

importance to all issues concerning the sea. In fact, we

host several institutions devoted to the marine

environment.

In this International Year of the Ocean, it seems

fitting to recall that the Principality is also celebrating the

one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the birth of Prince

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Albert I of Monaco, one of the founders of oceanography,

to whom our country owes a great deal of its renown.

My illustrious forebear, born in 1848, devoted a

substantial part of his life to the scientific study of the

oceans. An accomplished and passionate seaman, he was a

pioneer during 30 years of scientific study that led him

from the Azores to Spitzberg.

Prince Albert I created in Monaco in 1910 the

Oceanographic Museum in order to share what he had

learned from his maritime expeditions and to reveal the

beauty and wealth of the marine environment. Previously,

in Paris in 1906, he had founded the Oceanographic

Institute, which, in the same spirit, he devoted to teaching

and research.

He was also a forerunner of oceanology, in that some

of his work or his insights led to major medical discoveries,

such as anaphylaxis and antibacterial action. By advancing

research on what he called the meteorology of the upper

atmosphere of the oceans, he paved the way for studies of

oceanic atmospheric exchanges and their impact on climate.

Following his example, we should encourage

climatological studies in order to prevent as much as

possible such tragic flooding as that which — victimizing

too many people — rages today in Bangladesh, in China

and in the Chiapas region in Mexico. This is not to

overlook, of course, hurricane Georges, which is now

striking the Caribbean islands with such force.

In responding to the wishes of the Ninth International

Oceanographic Congress, on 30 March 1910 Prince Albert

I brought together a special commission to propose a

programme for the scientific exploration of the

Mediterranean. Because of the First World War, the general

constitutive conference could not be held until 1919, in

Madrid. In the presence of representatives of eight States

with coasts on the Mediterranean, the programme and

working methods of the international commission for the

scientific exploration of the Mediterranean were established.

The comprehensive activities of this institution, unique in

nature and mission, continue today. The institution brings

together very high-level political leaders and scientists. Last

June in Croatia it held its thirty-fifth meeting. Prince

Rainier III, my father, who is now the Chairman, took that

opportunity to again express his confidence in the scientific

community, encouraging it not to underestimate the

influence it might have on political decisions, especially in

the area of maritime affairs.

It is in this spirit that we attach special interest to

the work conducted by the Independent World

Commission on Oceans, under the leadership of the

former President of Portugal, Mario Soares. We hope that

its conclusions, which are essential for the lasting

conservation of our marine heritage, will receive all the

attention they deserve.

Inspired by the scientific work of Prince Albert I,

Prince Rainier III, my father, and his Government have in

recent years continued and strengthened his visionary

policy. Two examples are the scientific centre established

in 1960 and the RAMOGE agreement signed with France

and Italy so as to prevent all types of pollution — which

are numerous in the Ligurian Sea.

Furthermore, since last 27 March the Principality has

had a law that brings together in one legislative body all

provisions relating to the law of the sea, conforming them

to the legal and technical requirements of the

contemporary maritime world — first and foremost to the

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and

other relevant international instruments to which Monaco

is a party.

We are also very much involved in activities carried

out by the International Whaling Commission. Our efforts

recently led to the establishment of 40 degrees south as

the boundary of the new southern sanctuary designed to

ensure protection for the feeding and reproduction

grounds of 90 per cent of large whales. The Governments

affected by this decision have committed themselves to

limit the number of so-called scientific hunting permits in

order to protect effectively this sanctuary.

I would like, furthermore, to draw the attention of

the General Assembly to fresh threats to the marine

environment posed by new synthetic chemical products,

such as dioxins and certain pesticides which affect the

neurological and brain development of many species.

Large amounts of these products are now found in the

flesh of fish and other marine vertebrates in the northern

hemisphere, presenting an imminent threat not only to the

balance of marine biodiversity but also to the health of

the human race. I am thinking in particular of the Beluga

whales, now among the most poisoned animals on our

planet.

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The substantial contribution of Prince Albert I to

progress in oceanography should not allow us to forget his

research in other areas, such as the study of prehistory.

Thanks to discoveries made in coastal caves, it has enabled

us to identify one of the links in human evolution, which

has helped to establish scientifically the common origin of

the human race. These fossils, along with other

archaeological objects found in the caves of the region, are

preserved in the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology,

which the Prince created in 1902 in Monaco. Just as he had

established the Oceanographic Institute in Paris to promote

marine sciences, Prince Albert I gave the French capital an

Institute of Human Paleontology, where since 1910 courses

have been given and interdisciplinary research has been

conducted on geology, prehistoric paleontology and

ethnography.

Like many scholars, Prince Albert I did not limit his

activities to research. He felt the profound need for

communication, teaching and propagation of knowledge. He

gave talks in Italy, Belgium, Spain and Austria. He

inaugurated congresses in Paris, Bordeaux and Washington.

One could also see him in the outskirts of the French

capital giving night classes to workers enrolled in the

People?s University of Paris. Prince Albert I probably

anticipated the immense enthusiasm with which at the

beginning of the 1960s men and women of all disciplines

and a large part of the peoples of the world were to come

together in favour of ecology — that is, respect for nature,

its balance and the interdependence of the beings that live

in it. Since the beginning of the century he had perceived

some of the bases for an environmentalism which was both

popular and scientific and which he himself tried to put into

practice.

So it is that his temple of the sea, the Oceanographic

Institute Museum of Monaco, was, on his initiative,

surrounded by superb gardens containing original and

varied Mediterranean species. Also very interested in

botany, he established on the rocky, arid coast of Monaco

an exotic garden open to the public where we find

succulent plants, some very rare and endangered, preserved

with great care. My ancestor was to some extent a

forerunner of those involved in the defence of biodiversity.

A profound believer in justice and an ardent defender

of universal friendship, Prince Albert I in 1903 also created

in Monaco the International Institute for Peace, where he

brought together jurists, economists, philosophers and

scientists to whom he assigned the mission of considering

“ways of solving disputes between nations, propagating

dedication to methods for bringing about harmonious

understanding, and eradicating hatred from the hearts of

peoples”. Forty-two years later these words echoed in the

preamble to the United Nations Charter adopted in San

Francisco.

The Academy for Peace and International Security,

which meets regularly in Monaco, perpetuates, on the

initiative of my father, the reigning Prince, the

determination of Prince Albert I to promote research on

peace and the causes of conflict as well as the study of

war. Its thirtieth session, which I was pleased to open on

19 March, devoted its work to globalization and

international security. The discussions were led by high-

ranking personalities from the worlds of diplomacy,

defence and business, as well as by representatives of

major international organizations. Its recommendations

and conclusions essentially deal with the risks of tension

and conflict inherent in the globalization of the economy

and the best ways to overcome these risks.

The interest in humankind expressed in his research

on primitive man and his environment, his commitment

to scientific knowledge and its spread, his rejection of

violence and his tireless fight for peace and respect for

nature are all very contemporary messages which Prince

Albert I bequeathed to us. This was the meeting of a

human life with history, and his multidimensional legacy

has come to us through time. He has influenced the minds

of the people of Monaco, generation upon generation, in

making us a welcoming, peace-loving people, respectful

of our environment. Enriched by and adapted to world

developments and progress by his successors, primarily

my father, this heritage is now at the core of essential

missions which we have entrusted to the United Nations.

My country, within its modest means, is more prepared

than ever to make its experience, inherited from its

difficult past, available for understanding and

rapprochement.

The defence of human rights and respect for human

dignity, which are inscribed in letters of gold in the

United Nations Charter, were no doubt of inspiration to

Prince Albert I when he personally committed himself to

the rehabilitation of Captain Dreyfus and when he decided

to grant constitutional political rights to his subjects in

1911.

These fundamental human rights are being

commemorated by the international community today.

This is a great event. Fifty years ago, on 10 December

1948, our General Assembly at its third session, held in

Paris at the Palais de Chaillot, adopted the Universal

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Declaration of Human Rights. One of those primarily

responsible for it, the French professor René Cassin,

received in 1968, 20 years after the solemn proclamation,

the Nobel Peace Prize. This commemoration should be an

opportunity for collective soul-searching. To what extent

are human rights enjoyed internationally? Above all, what

is the position with regard to the initiatives taken to realize

the right to development, which was officially recognized

in 1993 by the international community at the World

Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna?

The current fierce economic competition which is

aggravating macroeconomic imbalances is not without an

impact on the enjoyment of human rights. While respect for

civil and political rights seems to be less affected,

economic, social and cultural rights underpinning the right

to development have made only modest progress — where

they have not, indeed, met with major setbacks.

The current financial crisis is depriving millions of

men and women of their basic rights, when not actually

destroying their lives. At the world level, it has led to an

overall drop in life expectancy, an increase in infant and

maternal mortality, greater unemployment, growing

insecurity, uncontrolled migration and a grave deterioration

in social welfare, accompanied by a relentless drop in

income among the active population. The high-level

dialogue on the theme of the social and economic impact of

globalization and interdependence and their policy

implications, which was held in this Hall on 17 and 18

September, clearly stressed these facts.

Human rights are indissoluble. They must be enjoyed

by everyone everywhere. As the General Assembly

proclaimed on 10 December 1948, they are a common

standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. The

highest authorities of my country, along with the entire

Monegasque people, are thoroughly convinced of this.

One thought comes to mind. It may be a lengthy one,

since the question is delicate and quite complex. The

Government of the Principality is perfectly well aware that

urgent and concrete steps must be encouraged at the

national and global levels. Mrs. Mary Robinson, the High

Commissioner for Human Rights, has our full support and

all our confidence. We know how difficult her task is and

how pitiful are her resources in the face of reality.

The Principality of Monaco also attaches the highest

importance to the tireless and courageous work of the

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees, which, I am pleased to recall, received the Nobel

Peace Prize nearly 45 years ago in 1954. Mrs. Sadako

Ogata and her colleagues deserve our support and respect.

The United Nations humanitarian activities, which

are necessary today as never before, and its efforts to

eliminate anti-personnel landmines and the human tragedy

they entail also deserve our greatest encouragement.

I wish here to emphasize the special interest which

my father, the Sovereign Prince, and I, President of the

Red Cross of Monaco — currently celebrating its fiftieth

anniversary — attach to respect for and strict

implementation of the Geneva Convention relative to the

Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12

August 1949. Despite the tireless efforts of the

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent

Societies, as well as of many humanitarian organizations

that I wish to commend here for the altruism and courage

of their members, we note an increase in serious

violations of this text, as well as of the most basic human

rights of the most vulnerable sectors of the population,

including children.

Last June, the Security Council rightly expressed its

grave concern at the terrible consequences to children of

armed conflict. It energetically and unequivocally

condemned the abuses to which they are subject,

especially the humiliations, outrages, sexual violence,

kidnapping and displacements, as well their recruitment

and use in combat, in violation of current international

law. The authorities of Monaco unreservedly share that

position and are prepared to lend active support, to the

extent of their abilities, to the Secretary-General?s Special

Representative for Children in Armed Conflict so that he

may fulfil his noble mission.

Unfortunately, the fate of children may be equally

tragic outside armed conflict. Following the World

Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of

Children, held in Stockholm in August 1996, the

Government of Monaco, as I stated to the General

Assembly at its fifty-first session, has striven to reform its

criminal legislation in order to bring it into line with its

commitments. In implementation of article 34 of the

Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Monaco

is Party, new legislative provisions have been enacted,

with broader scope to criminalize to the greatest possible

extent the sexual exploitation of children to satisfy the

vices of others.

The establishment, last July in Rome, of an

International Criminal Court is a source of great hope.

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This represents major progress, a far-reaching change in the

international order that fosters respect for the essential

principles of humanitarian law. Its Statute, adopted by a

large majority, opens the way to the prosecution of war

crimes and the most heinous crimes against humanity, many

of which affect children, of course, but also woman and the

defenceless elderly. The Principality of Monaco, which

participated in the Diplomatic Conference in Rome,

welcomes this historic decision.

The Royal Government is grateful that such weighty

issues as the definition of crimes, the principle of

complementarity, jurisdictions, the independence of the

prosecutor?s office and relations with United Nations organs

were all solved satisfactorily.

I also wish to express on behalf of my country our

great satisfaction at the work which the Secretary-General

has done in recent months. The reports he submits to us

note progress in many areas, including administrative and

financial management and the restructuring of the

Secretariat. Outstanding progress has been achieved thanks

to the trusting and close cooperation he has established with

representatives of Member States and with officials of the

most influential international world and regional bodies.

His diplomatic initiatives, carried out with great

wisdom, patience and determination, have often been

crowned with success, despite the obstacles and difficulties

he has encountered. We are especially pleased that, in come

cases, his initiatives have allowed us to prevent or stabilize

conflicts that might otherwise have been extremely

devastating.

The Secretary-General?s well-written and incisive

report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of

durable peace and sustainable development in Africa has

riveted our attention. It is a valuable source of inspiration

and ideas for bringing peace to Africa.

In this respect, I cannot fail to recall that we are

commemorating this year the fiftieth anniversary of

peacekeeping operations. It was in 1948 that the first

United Nations observer mission was established. I take this

opportunity to pay a tribute to all those men and women

who have served under the United Nations flag and to

salute the memory of those who gave their lives in the line

of duty. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld was among

them. More recently, in Kabul, an Italian Lieutenant

Colonel was killed and a French military adviser wounded.

The Convention on the Safety of United Nations and

Associated Personnel, adopted by the General Assembly at

its forty-ninth session, is more relevant than ever. Ten

years ago, on 10 December 1988, United Nations

Peacekeeping Forces received the Nobel Peace Prize. As

I see it, this high distinction should be recalled on the

occasion of this anniversary.

I would like to express great sadness felt in my

country over the accident of Swissair flight 111. My

saddest thoughts go to the victims of that accident, some

of whom belonged to the great United Nations family. We

share the grief of their loved ones.

Africa and Europe have recently experienced a tragic

series of terrorist attacks that have taken a toll of

hundreds of victims including women, children,

elderly people, many of whom were present merely by

chance. Those attacks have given rise to an inevitable

escalation of the use of force and an increased risk of

conflict. The authorities and people of Monaco have felt

these painful events very deeply. Through me, they wish

to reaffirm to the Governments concerned and to the

families of the victims their solidarity and their deepest

sympathy.

On 13 August 1995, the Security Council firmly

condemned acts of terrorism, which they called an

outrage. It recalled its statement of 31 January 1992,

issued at its high-level meeting of heads of State and

Government. The Principality of Monaco agrees fully

with that position. It is perfectly aware that terrorism

endangers not only the security of States and their

citizens, but also international cooperation and peace. My

country is more convinced than ever of the need to

strengthen international cooperation, with a view to

combating more effectively this scourge, which is a

serious and tragic setback in relations among human

beings, nations and peoples. It fully endorses the

provisions of General Assembly resolution 52/165,

adopted on 15 December 1997, and its provisions aimed

at the elimination of international terrorism.

Our Government is now considering the possibility

of adhering to the International Convention for the

Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, which was adopted

last year without a vote and which is currently open for

signature. Furthermore, we hope that negotiations under

way on a draft convention on the suppression of acts of

nuclear terrorism will be concluded quickly.

In conclusion, it is my hope that the work of this

fifty-third session of the General Assembly will be

crowned with success and that the activities of the

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Organization will be strengthened in such vital areas as

international security, disarmament, sustainable development

and the protection of the environment.