Month: October 2018

On 19 October 2018, as part of the ongoing work of the United Nations General Assembly Committee (Legal Matters), diplomat Florian Botto, Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Monaco to the United Nations in New York, spoke in support of the teaching, study, dissemination and understanding of international law.

International law, as Mr. Botto pointed out, is one way to strengthen international peace and security and promote friendly relations and cooperation among States. Access to legal resources on the Internet, in all languages, remains a challenge in many countries, while information and communication technologies play an increasingly important role in our daily lives.

At this meeting, Mr. Botto recalled the support given by the Prince’s Government since 2003 to the UN’s “Amerasinghe Endowment,” which, each year, enables nationals of developing countries to improve and deepen their knowledge of the law of the sea. He also highlighted the role of the Institute for the Economic Law of the Sea (Institut du droit économique de la mer –INDEMER), which was established in Monaco in 1985, in improving the dissemination of the law of the sea to French-speaking practitioners.

Under the leadership of HSH the Sovereign Prince, Monaco has committed to strict targets to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. To support this ambitious trajectory, the environmental and energy performance of buildings is a priority: this division represents more than 30% of the Principality’s emissions.

In this context, the Mission for the Energy Transition gathered, Tuesday, October 23, at the Lycée Technique and Hotelier of Monaco, all the trades of construction and urbanism around these priority issues.

The objective: to present them the Mediterranean Sustainable Buildings (BDM) initiative, created in 2009 in Paca (all details in technical sheet). Voluntary and innovative, it has an ambition: to promote good practices in construction (reducing the impact of materials and water and energy consumption, bio-climatism, etc.) to preserve comfort and health, while taking into account environmental, social and economic issues.

By the end of 2019, the approach will be adapted to the context and specificities of Monaco and will become BD2M: “Mediterranean Sustainable Buildings of Monaco”.

This first meeting has indeed laid the main axes of the initiative. Six days of work, spread over several months, will follow to create the BD2M repository.

With more than 160 participants counted, the event allowed for rich and constructive exchanges.

A subject to find on our social networks and Monaco Info. It will also be the subject of the next environmental magazine “The Green Line”.

Contact: Mission for the Energy Transition – transition-energetique@gouv.mc

More than 40 volunteer divers responded to the joint call made by RAMOGE, Villefranche-sur-Mer City Council and the Villefranche Sea Institute (IMEV) to carry out a census of the large mother-of-pearl (Pinna nobilis).

This protected species, emblematic of the Mediterranean Sea, is endangered by human activities and in particular anchors to repetition. The area that was chosen, in the area known as “Rochambeau” west of the harbor of Villefranche-sur-Mer, is heavily impacted by the fairground anchorage. The City Council has decided to carry out specific arrangements soon that will prohibit anchorage outside the fixed mooring buoys.

On the basis of the data collected, the results were very positive: 85.2% of the 1,045 Pinna nobilis recorded are alive. Nearly 400 of them measure between 30 and 40 cm and more than 250 display a size beyond 40 cm. However, about sixty broken shells, probably by the anchor of the boats, were also observed. The collection of this information makes it possible to establish the initial state before the protective measures.

The organizers thank all the volunteer divers, members of the associations Nausicaa-diving-Villefranche , Villefranche au Coeur , NaturDive and Rand’Eau Evasion , as well as Mr. Jean De Vaugelas, scientific expert of this bivalve, present during the operation.

The 3rd edition of Operation Moi (s) sans tabac will begin on Thursday November 1st and will continue until the end of the month.

A collective challenge launched in November to encourage residents of the Principality to quit smoking, the “Me (s) Without Tobacco” campaign will send a strong message aimed at fighting serious diseases caused by tobacco use.

To help them in this process, the Prince’s Government has requested that the Principality of Monaco be associated, as a partner, with the operation “Moi (s) sans tabac” initiated by the French Ministry of Health.

For Didier Gamerdinger, Minister-Counselor for Social Affairs and Health:
“The collective approach really improves the chances of stopping. To this end, the health professionals of the Principality of Monaco, partners of the campaign, are at the disposal of the participants of the ‘Moi (s) sans tabac’ operation to provide them with the necessary support.”

This operation, carried out in collaboration with the Department of Social Affairs and Health, with the Princess Grace Hospital Center, is being renewed this year, in particular by distributing smoking cessation aid kits to be withdrawn free of charge from pharmacies. pharmacy of the Principality;

– either by internet www.tabac-info-service.fr ;

– by telephone at 39 89.

At the invitation of the Slovak Government, which is chairing this year the OSCE Mediterranean Contact Group, Ms Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Monaco to the OSCE, accompanied by Mr Lorenzo Ravano, First Counselor, at the OSCE Mediterranean Conference held in Malaga, Spain, from 25 to 26 October 2018.

Aware that security in Europe is closely linked to security in the Mediterranean and that energy and environmental issues are essential factors for strengthening the dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean area, the high-level segment focused this year on the theme:  The importance of energy for economic growth and cooperation in the Mediterranean.

Three sessions focused on the role of energy as a driver of growth, cooperation and connectivity, the protection of critical energy infrastructure and the development of renewable energies.

In her speech, HE Mrs. Berro-Amadeï stressed the importance of the issue of energy efficiency, which is today a reality made possible by significant technological advances, and bringing about healthy and sustainable economic growth.

The Ambassador recalled that the Principality of Monaco is engaged in a strong move towards the energy transition, towards a more energy-efficient society, thanks to a proactive policy and a concrete action program. This commitment is based in particular on greenhouse gas reduction targets that respond to the challenges posed by the effects of climate change.

Finally, she mentioned that the Prince’s Government has also invested at the international level in promoting sustainable, balanced, responsible and supportive development, for example, the role of Monaco in the International Renewable Energy Agency. (IRENA), and the Principality’s support for Marine Renewable Energy (RME).

After two years of preparation and with the support of the Monaco group Expression, the SEPM is officially certified to the standards ISO 9001 “quality” and 14001 “environment” after being certified as a Clean Harbor continuously since 2011.

As the first port on the Côte d’Azur to obtain this double certification, the SEPM now fully meets the many requirements of the two standards, leading to a modern, high-quality and environmentally friendly company.

On October 23, 2018, Bureau Veritas, the certifying body, through Philippe Periphanos, presented the two certificates in the presence of Valérie Davenet, Director of the Environment representing Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Government Counselor – Minister of Equipment, Environment and Urban Planning, the President and members of the SEPM Board of Directors, the various partners and all the staff.

Aleco Keusseoglou, President Delegate of the SEPM, said on this occasion: “This double certification is above all the result of a long work and a commitment flawless of each and every one for two years to be certified ISO 9001, c is a commitment to continuous improvement of the quality of the services provided to our customers, by being constantly listening to them and meeting their expectations Be ISO 14001 certified, after having received the European Port Clean certification in 2011 is to ensure that you have an activity that is respectful of the environment, by developing and encouraging good practices aimed at preserving resources.”