His Excellency Serge Telle is leading a Monaco delegation at the Eighth World Water Forum, which is taking place from March 18 to 23 in Brasilia. Nearly 40,000 people from more than 160 countries, including decision-makers, politicians, experts, civil society, and water stakeholders around the world are meeting this year focussed on the theme “Sharing water”.
During his address at the official Opening Ceremony, Monaco’s Minister of State said: “Our responsibility is to act while there is still time: to mobilise countries, to support multilateral organisations, to set companies in motion.”
He called for a correction to the deficiencies of a short-sighted economy, which too often considers water, and with it, other natural resources, as worthless universal goods. He said: “It is urgent to learn to integrate them into our profitability calculations, as it is essential to incorporate the long-term effects of our actions on the environment.”
Finally, he pointed out that Monaco, under the authority of the Sovereign Prince, made water a priority. The Minister of State later participated in a ministerial round table on climate change.
The World Water Forum, organised by the World Water Council, is one of the largest events in the world related to water and contributes to the decision-making process on water at the global level, aimed at achieving a rational and sustainable use of this resource.
ML: Can you tell us about your background and what brought you to Monaco? NM: I’m originally from Iran and in 1978 when the revolution happened, we moved to the South of France. I had family in Monaco, so I’ve spent a lot of time here since my childhood and moved here permanently three years ago.
I’m a Mechanical Engineer by training and worked in Bioengineering, Information Technology, Logistics, and Finance before doing an MBA in Luxury Management.
ML: You take advantage of all that Monaco has to offer. I see at the F(ê)aites de la Danse at Casino Square, listening to live music at the American Bar in the Café de Paris, and dancing at Jimmz’y. What do you love about living in Monaco and what makes it unique? NM: What I love about Monaco is that it’s familiar to me. It has the most beautiful views, great weather and I feel safe here. It feels like home. It’s the place I’ve come back to every year since I was born. I enjoy time with my friends over some good wine, and I love music and dancing. I work hard but I like to go out on weekends. It’s interesting that you mention F(ê)aites de la Danse as it was the first year, but it was an amazing event. I hope they do it every year. We attended it and danced almost ten hours straight with my friends.
ML: Name a few of your favourite places in Monaco. NM: Wine Palace for great wine, Piazza for the best food, Sass Cafe and American Bar for live music, La Bionda for their piccana, and the open air cinema just to name a few. The free Thursday Live Sessions at the Grimaldi Forum are also great fun. There are so many great places it’s hard to name them all.
ML: You founded the first TEDxMonteCarlo last year. What is the difference between TED and TEDx and how did the idea to bring TEDx to Monte Carlo come about?
NM: The x in TEDx stands for an independently organised TED event. TED – “Technology, Entertainment and Design” – is a non-profit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading” and was founded in 1984 in Monterrey California.
There are two annual TED conferences with the main one in Vancouver, Canada, around April, bringing experts from all fields to share their ideas in less than 18 minutes. In 2009, TED created a program, TEDx, to enable local communities to create and host their own TED-like conferences licensed by TED but self-organised. TED and TEDx have created the world’s largest archive of ideas that are all free and online for global access and viewing.
TEDxMonteCarlo came about when I was a student at IUM in 2013. My friend, Lynn, who is the organiser of TEDxCoventGardenWomen inspired me so much with her event in London that I wanted to give the Monaco community access to a similar experience. I applied for a university TEDx license in 2013 and hosted TEDxIUM in June 2014 and continued with TEDxMonteCarlo in 2016 – with the push of some of my friends – Galina and Wladimir Singer and Mark Hillsdon.
TEDxMonteCarlo 2016. Photo: James Poulot
ML: Take us through the steps you had to take to make TEDxMonteCarlo a reality. What were some of the biggest hurdles? NM: To host a TEDx license that hosts more than 100 people, you have to be certified by TED. This happens after attending an official TED event. After applying and receiving your license, you have to raise funds for your event, get a team together, find your speakers, coach the speakers and help them prepare their talks, plan the logistics for the speakers and curate the entire day trying to keep everyone – speakers, attendees, your team and sponsors – happy.
The biggest challenge was finding the funds and sponsors. Many people didn’t know TED/TEDx in Monaco, so it was a challenge selling them the idea. Also, Monaco is not a cheap place to host an event – my budget is 10x my friend’s budget in London for the same number of speakers and attendees. In London, everyone knows TED/TEDx and many providers give in-kind benefits that help reduce the event cost; however, this is almost impossible in Monaco.
Also, the team works countless hours for free and sometimes things get tough and stressful – speakers, attendees, ticket holders, press, suppliers, etc … so when we have to deal with unappreciative and disrespectful behaviour (which happens a lot), I have zero tolerance and I make sure to protect my team as much as possible.
ML: Tell us about TEDxMonteCarlo. How do you choose the themes and speakers? NM: I see what the most pressing issues are in the news and in the local community. What is Monaco great at and how is it contributing to the world? What would we want to share with the world and what would our community want to hear about?
In the application I need to give TED three ideas and areas of focus for my event (each year). Once I’ve set the areas/ideas, I look for experts in these fields, from university professors to entrepreneurs, scouring through news articles, podcasts, and so on to find my speakers. For our 2017 event, we worked through a list of approximately 150 speakers that we narrowed down to the 17 you will see on November 11 at the event.
ML: What is your goal with the TEDxMonteCarlo series? NM: I hope to inspire the community. I hope to connect people and start new conversations. I hope to bring together CEOs and students who share the same passion. I hope new friendships will develop. I hope to drive change if an idea inspires the attendees. I hope that the world can see that good ideas do come out of Monaco by creating a new window for people to see Monaco in a different way – beyond its glamour with the Yachts, Formula 1 and its beauty.
ML: What have you learned about yourself from putting on the event? NM: That I am very patient and tolerant, and that the community craves inspiration.
ML: What can people expect from the November 11 event? NM: A lot of great speakers! An amazing team! An amazing event! A day full of inspiration and emotions. It will be a unique experience for anyone attending TEDx for the first time.
ML: What is a typical day for you? NM: A lot of emailing and asking for money. I spend 80 percent of my time chasing potential sponsors. I have reduced that in this edition to focus more on my speakers and curation.
ML: What is the one tool you cannot live without? NM: My calendar. I’d miss every meeting, call, rent payment deadline, lunch or dinner if it’s not in my calendar.
ML: How would you describe the female community in Monaco? NM: My core team is mainly female, not intentionally but it just happened that way. They are hungry for networking, good conversations and being part of “something”.
ML: How involved are you with other associations? NM: I’m a member of MonacoUSA, and also support the Monaco Ambassador’s Club when I have some free time. I used to be a member of the CREM through IUM.
I think it’s very important to support each other. We live in a very small community, everyone knows each other and it’s important to share our knowledge and help when we can. We are always stronger together when we are not trying to compete. If two associations are trying to accomplish the same thing and are competitors then they should just combine forces. There are too many things going on and everyone is trying to do good, but we go much further if we do it together.
ML: What is something you’ve always wanted to try or do in Monaco but still have not? NM: This is a really tough one! I’ve been fortunate enough that my family and friends spoiled me and fulfilled all my Monaco dreams. I can’t think of anything just now. A dinner with Ms Ornella Barra – she’s quite inspirational. I would say… See Coldplay, Bruno Mars or Gypsy Kings perform in Salle Des Etoiles one day – I haven’t done this yet!
ML: What’s the best piece of advice another woman gave you? NM: One of my first bosses told me in her office one day something that I always kept with me and live by: “Don’t complain about an existing process or something without having a solution to fix it, because if you can’t think of a solution then maybe the way it is, is the best way.”
Joël Bouzou, Prince Albert, Juan Manuel Santos, Didier Drogba, and Maria Angela Holguin. Photo: Facebook Peace and Sport.
On Tuesday, March 20, Prince Albert officially launched Peace and Sport’s #WhiteCard digital campaign in Cartagena, Colombia.
The Sovereign held his white card, which shares the vision that sport can help to change the world, along with HE Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia and 2016 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, the Champion for Peace Didier Drogba, and HE Maria Angela Holguin, Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Prince Albert and the Foreign Minister had attended the final match of a Rugby Sevens tournament on Sunday, March 18. “It is a great pleasure for the delegation of Monaco to be in Cartagena, thank you very much for the hospitality and friendship,” Prince Albert said.
Prince Albert added that sport is a catalyst of “hope for a better world” and that “harmonious relationships can be built between communities and nations through sports.”
For her part, Minister Holguin thanked the Prince for his visit to Colombia and pointed out that the ministry’s Sports and Cultural Diplomacy project seeks to protect minors at risk of forced recruitment in areas affected by the armed conflict.
On Monday, the Prince and Colombian President visited the Lost City, a pre-Columbian citadel of stone embedded in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria mountains, considered the highest peaks in Colombia.
During the Sovereign’s visit, the Colombian government signed a new regulation to protect the Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria, which calls for the preservation of the ancestral lands of the indigenous Kogui, Arhuaco, Wiwa and Kankwamo peoples.
Peace and Sport’s WhiteCard campaign runs until April 10. Take a photo of yourself with a white card (ie blank side of a postcard) and post on social media with the hashtag #WhiteCard.
Monaco Yacht Show 2017. Photo: Facebook Monaco Yacht Show
The Monaco Yacht Show is constantly evolving, and this year the Quai des Etats-Unis will represent a major change, with more segregation of exhibitors. The extension of the T central dock will be removed to make space for an entirely new quay on the northern part of the show.
“The organisers of the MYS will take advantage of the restructuring of Quai des Etats-Unis in Port Hercules by the Principality of Monaco to improve the visit experience of the show’s private clientele by giving priority to the presence of yacht designers, builders and brokerage houses in front of their superyachts on display for sale or charter,” the event committee said.
There will be more emphasis on clients, rather than the B2B element. Luxury manufacturers and service suppliers will be housed in the Parvis Piscine tent, while nautical suppliers will be in the Darse Sud tent and Quai Albert 1er.
The Monaco Yacht Show takes place from September 26 to 29.
Didier Gamerdinger, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, has signed an agreement with the five heads of the Monegasque companies that provide personal care services, and with the Union of Monegasque Enterprises of Help and Home support.
Around 700 elderly currently benefit from home support measures, which also reduces the number of seniors in care homes. However, home support supposes that the service provided to our elders is of a high standard, the Government says.
The agreement, signed on Monday, March 19, aims to ensure the implementation of a quality service with certain guarantees, as part of an assistance plan recommended by the Centre for Gerontology Coordination of Monaco (CCMG).
The Convention covers a number of areas including the employment of qualified personnel for this type of service; the initial and continuous training of employees; continuity of assistance with a 24-hour hotline; and tariffs fixed by Ministerial Order.
The agreement strives towards the goal of excellence that the Principality has set itself, particularly in the area of social policy.
Emanuele Lauro, Chairman and Chief Executive of Monaco-based Scorpio Bulkers, has told the company’s shareholder’s in the annual report that 2017 was characterised by an improved environment for the dry bulk industry.
“With the world economy firing on all cylinders in 2017, the demand for the commodities we carry and the distances they need to go continued to increase. A case in point – and an example we touched on last year – is coal. For now and for the foreseeable future, as China tries to urgently address corruption and – most especially – pollution while all the while maintaining economic growth, domestic coal production will decline and long-haul imports will increase.
“The consequences on our markets are broad and deep: it is not simply larger vessels shuttling coal from Australia to China. Second order effects include our Ultramaxes carrying coal from the United States to Europe. Tertiary effects include tightening supply/demand balances which support freight on cargoes like steel slabs from Russia, bauxite from Brazil, and logs from New Zealand. Meanwhile, robust demand is being met with historically low fleet supply growth.”
For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company’s GAAP net loss was $59.7 million, or $0.83 loss per diluted share compared to a GAAP net loss of $124.8 million, or $2.22 loss per diluted share for the prior year.
On February 5, 2018, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.02 per share on the Company’s common stock. Total vessel revenue in 2017 increased to 162.2 million from 78.4 million in 2016.
