Sporting win for Monaco at UN

2016 Friendship Games in Rwanda. Photo: Facebook Peace and Sport
2016 Friendship Games in Rwanda. Photo: Facebook Peace and Sport

HE Mrs Isabelle Picco, Permanent Representative of Monaco and Vice-President of the Friends of Sport Group, and Florian Botto, third secretary of the Permanent Mission of Monaco to the UN, successfully conducted lengthy negotiations on a draft resolution at the UN General Assembly on the mainstreaming of principles related to human rights and gender equality in international sporting events.

These efforts resulted in a resolution adopted unanimously on December 16. “Together we must seize the full potential of sport in the three pillars of sustainable development,” said Mrs Picco in her address to the General Assembly.

After referring to several events related to sport in the Principality, such as No Finish Line and the Peace and Sport Forum, she announced a new collaboration with the SDG Fund, an entity supporting the implementation of UN sustainable development objectives, one of which will be sport for youth and education.

Finally, looking forward to the next International Sport Day for Development and Peace on April 6, 2017, the Peace and Sport association was invited to present to the member states its “handbook of adapted sports practices” to put sport at the service of children who do not have access to sports facilities.

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Prince Albert sends note to President Putin

Prince Albert with President Putin at Kremlin in October.
Prince Albert with President Putin at Kremlin in October.

In a letter addressed to Russian President Vladmir Putin on Tuesday morning, HSH Prince Albert said he had been touched by the fate of the murdered diplomat in Ankara, referring to the assassination on Monday evening of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov.

“I learned with great emotion of the assassination yesterday in Ankara of HE Mr Andrei Karlov, Ambassador of your Country in Turkey,” the Monegasque sovereign wrote, “and I would like to express to you the feeling of repulsion we feel at this new manifestation of terrorism. ”

“I assure you, Mr President, of my great sadness and of my deepest sympathy,” Prince Albert added.

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Ambassador reiterates Monaco’s role in ocean health

Isabelle Picco, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the United Nations. Photo: DC
Isabelle Picco, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the United Nations. Photo: DC

HE Mrs Isabelle Picco, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the United Nations, took part in the debate on the theme of the oceans and the law of the sea during the UN’s 71st General Assembly, in which she restated the strong commitment of the Principality to the health of the oceans.

In her address, she pointed to the actions of Monaco in the field of combating plastic pollution and announced the creation of the Trust Fund for Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, which has granted its first funding.

In addition, the role of the Monaco Science Centre and the IAEA Environmental Laboratories, in the field of ocean acidification and its socio-economic impacts, was emphasised. At the same meeting, UN Member States adopted the annual resolution on the sustainability of fisheries and proclaimed May 2 as “World Tuna Day”.

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Monaco promotes eco-friendly tourism

tourismofficeMonaco’s Tourism and Conventions Bureau will be represented at the Monaco Pavilion throughout the International Exhibition in Astana, Kazakhstan, from June 10 until September 10, 2017.

With the slogan”Thinking about the future”, the Principality will emphasise the importance of the environmentally friendly use of energy and the reduction of CO2 emissions.

The Bureau will also be working with hotels in Kazakhstan on energy strategies for the hotel sector and, specifically, on organising a conference on tourism and energy in June next year.

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Flu epidemic arrives early

Photo: Whoisjohngalt
Photo: Whoisjohngalt

The regional health agency (ARS) in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur has said that the seasonal flu epidemic has arrived earlier than usual this year. A communiqué from the ARS said that the first major outbreak arrived last week, from December 12 until December 16.

The agency added that while there is still time to get vaccinated to avoid the worst of the outbreak, more than 400 people required emergency treatment during last week, with 69 being admitted to hospital.

To date, six hospitals offering A&E services have reported being under pressure from the flu problem.

Each year, influenza infects 2.5 million people in France.

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