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Monaco - Prince Addresses General Debate, 72nd Session
Addressing the Assembly, Albert, II, Prince of Monaco, said the international community could not fail to act in the face of global threats, including the nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula, and must deter those who expose humankind to disaster. Monaco lent its support to collective action for peace and security, he said, noting his country’s membership in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe.
“Working to stop mass suffering is imperative,” he said, expressing support for the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for the Syrian Arab Republic.
He went on to say that famine in Africa, largely exacerbated by war, has become a humanitarian disaster. Through work with various international organizations and the development of its own strategic plan for public assistance, Monaco is working to guarantee food security and fight corruption. Key to those ideals is the fight against impunity, and his country was committed to respect for justice and peace. Attacks claiming innocent lives affected all of us, regardless of where they took place, he noted.
Climate change remains an imminent threat to humankind, he said. Recent natural hazards put into focus the importance of the Paris Agreement and the need to adapt, he continued, stressing that a change in lifestyle is “long overdue.” Calling attention to “glaring inequalities,” he urged moving forward with a resolve to eliminate sexual exploitation, pointing out that that included those abuses in United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Recalling Monaco had presented its first report on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals to the high-level political forum in the summer, he said Goal 14 on aquatic marine life was of particular importance to his country.
“Our ability to save the ocean from its gradual decline will enable us to save our planet,” he said. In that regard, he outlined Monaco’s various activities on the safeguarding of marine protected areas and other related issues. He concluded by emphasizing that science should guide all States as they worked towards a better world.