Monaco, 2007

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.