Month: March 2019

Rock legend Sting will be performing at this year’s Monte Carlo Sporting Summer Festival, it’s been revealed. Another interesting addition is American actor Jeff Goldblum, who will take to the stage with his jazz band The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.

The official line-up was revealed at a press conference at Jimmyz on Tuesday 26th March, but Sting had leaked the announcement hours earlier on social media.

He Tweeted: “Just announced: My Songs will be heading to the Monte Carlo Sporting Club in Monaco on August 2. Tickets go on sale at 2pm local time today – visit Sting.com for details! #MySongsTour”

According to the official Sting website, My Songs will be a “rollicking, dynamic show focusing on the most beloved songs written by Sting and spanning the 16-time Grammy Award winner’s prolific career with The Police and as a solo artist. Fans can expect to hear ‘Englishman In New York’, ‘Fields Of Gold’, ‘Shape Of My Heart’, ‘Every Breath You Take’, ‘Roxanne’, ‘Message In a Bottle’ and many more, with Sting accompanied by an electric, rock ensemble.”

Another lesser known headline act will be Jeff Goldblum, who will be opening the Sporting Summer Festival on 2nd July. It will be the first time that the Opera Garnier Monte Carlo will host Goldblum, an American icon who is far more famous for his acting career and roles in Jurassic Park and The Fly.

In fact, Goldblum started performing in small clubs at the age of 15 and over time he formed the jazz band The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra with his friends. After performing on the BBC’s Graham Norton Show in 2017, he was asked to record in the famous Capitol studios. For his first album, Goldblum has reprised the standards of Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock and Nina Simone.

The Monte Carlo Sporting Summer Festival is renowned for attracting big talents, and this year’s line-up will also include Vanessa Paradis on 5th July. She will be performing her new album ‘Les Sources’ which is focused on nature, dreams and love. So get ready for copious amounts of soft, solar and rhythmic energy.

The Beach Boys will be featuring at the Fight Aids Night on 13th July, while John Legend will headline the Red Cross Gala on 26th July.

The Jacksons will hit the Summer Sporting stage again in August, while Latin Lover Enrique Iglesias will also return to the Salle des Etoiles’ stage in August.

More than 400 people have gathered in Menton for the ‘Whalethon: running for the ocean’ event. Beautiful clear skies and marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe are credited with pulling in such a large number of participants, but also the mutual desire to see affirmative action in the protection of our oceans.

The run/walk is organised by The Animal Fund, a non-profit marine conservation association listed in both Monaco and France with a focus on protecting and saving dolphins and whales from pollution, overfishing and maltreatment.

Adults and children of all age groups spent the morning having fun and raising awareness about the issue. Heading the pack was Paula Jane Radcliffe, three-time winner of the London Marathon, three-time New York Marathon champion, and 2002 Chicago Marathon winner. She is the fastest female marathoner of all time and has held the Women’s World Marathon Record since 2003, with a time of 2:15:25.

“The message got out: how important it is to protect the ocean and its marine life,” said TAF’s Berit Legrand. “Everyone was enthusiastic and eager to participate in this important cause. The atmosphere was full of energy and optimism.”

The winners of each category were awarded prizes from FNAC, while all participants received a TAF t-shirt.

Following the run/race, TAF organised a beach clean-up during which a large amount of trash was collected.

“As more than 50% of our oxygen comes from the ocean and indirectly from the whales who are the ocean’s fertilizers, we cannot live without these magnificent creatures,” says TAF.

As part of Monaco Ocean Week, TAF will be organising a presentation on plastic in the ocean and how to live a plastic free life on 27th March at the Monaco Yacht Club.

Monaco has stepped up efforts to help provide fundamental rights of food, health and education in Niger, strengthening ties that began more than a decade ago.

A Monegasque delegation, led by Government Counselor-Minister of External Relations and Cooperation Gilles Tonelli, embarked on a working visit to Niger from 18thto 21stMarch to meet with the Nigerien authorities and partners of the Monegasque Cooperation. It led to the signing of the Framework Agreement for Cooperation between the two States, the first of its kind.

According to local media, the Principality of Monaco has pledged to provide support of €600,000 to the national system for the prevention and management of food crises in Niger, doubling its previous contribution. The money will be allocated over a period of three years until 2021.

The Monegasque delegation visited several projects in which the Principality is investing financially in around the Nigerian capital, primarily in the areas of nutrition and food security, as well as health and socio-professional integration. Various Monegasque groups were involved, including the Institut Pasteur, Fondation Mérieux, the Ministry of Health, and local and international NGOs.

“In addition to strengthening ties with the country’s authorities, the trip was an opportunity for the Prince’s government to take stock of its privileged partnership with this French-speaking Sahelian country, which is among the least developed in the world,” said the government in a statement. “Niger faces very big challenges, in particular security and food.”

Niger is a developing country, which consistently ranks near the bottom of the United Nations’ Hulan Development index.

The Monegasque delegation also signed an important partnership with the National Device for Prevention and Management of Food Crises. As part of the 3N Initiative (Nigeriens Nourrissent Nigeriens), which aims to improve the country’s food self-sufficiency, the delegation participated in two inaugurations: the laying of a foundation stone for the Fortification of Processed Food Products project with the United Nations World Food Program, and the inauguration of the milk collection centre carried out by the IRAM (Institute for Research and Application of Development Methods).

“The access of vulnerable populations to the fundamental rights of food, health and education is the essence of Monaco’s cooperation,” said Mr Tonelli. “For 10 years now, the Principality of Monaco has been assisting the Nigerien authorities in responding to the complex challenges – especially climatic and social – that the country faces … Let us unite our efforts for the human development of the Nigerien population!”

Bilateral cooperation between the two States was initiated in 2008 with the signing of a framework agreement in the field of health.

Monaco Ocean Week is underway for the third consecutive year, bringing together the world’s leading experts to help save our planet. The event has become an important platform for implementing real change and educating the leaders of tomorrow.

Ocean Week has a very large schedule of events based on the theme of ocean protection. It brings together leading marine sector stakeholders to share their key marine environment conversation findings and take action to preserve the oceans. During the third edition, from 24th to 30th March, local and international experts, the scientific community, voluntary sector and public authorities will once again unite in the Principality of Monaco.

This year marks the 10th Monaco Blue Initiative, from 24th to 25th March, a think tank where members focus on current and future global ocean management and conservation issues, and which is dedicated to the development of Marine Protected Areas. This involves about 30 events in various places in the Principality, but primarily at the Oceanographic Museum with workshops and conferences.

A busy program

The other major theme this year is the preservation of coral reefs, with Monaco co-chairing with Australia and Indonesia the International Initiative for Coral Reefs (ICRI). There is also the launch of the 2019 Artic Expedition Scholarship Program which allows students to travel to Antarctica, a host of exhibitions, a TAF (The Animal Fund) presentation on the 27th titled ‘Listen as the ocean talks’ on plastic pollution and the alternatives available, the public screening of ‘Oceans: Our Blue Planet’ by BBC Earth and OceanX, the official launch of the Marine Educational Area of ​​Monaco managed by the children of the Révoires primary school, and the Award Ceremony with Prince Albert II at the Pasteur Institute.

Last year, many ocean initiatives were presented throughout the week and key commitments were sealed, such as the ‘Monaco Manifesto for the Ocean’, published and signed by Prince Albert with the French and Italian ministers in charge of marine environment. There was also the signature of the Sanctuary Pelagos headquarters’ agreement, and the ‘Natural Marine World Heritage in the Arctic Ocean’ publication’s launch highlighting seven sites in the Arctic region that might be of outstanding universal value and potentially eligible for World Heritage status.

For a full schedule of events, visit the Monaco Ocean Week website.

The Monaco Economic Board has created a new position of Executive Director General, a role that has been filled by Guillaume Rose. The announcement was made ahead of 20^th anniversary celebrations.

The Monaco Economic Board (MEB) recently organised its general assembly, in the presence of Minister of State Serge Telle. It was during this meeting that 512 members of the MEB voted an amendment to the statutes of the association to create a post of Executive Director General.

Guillaume Rose was appointed and will be responsible for making the MEB an entity that coordinates the public and parastatal structures of the Principality abroad.

Mr. Rose announced three main objectives of his new mission: “To maintain and highlight the MEB team, to listen to and expand the voices of the professionals within the organisation, and to develop the actions of the MEB abroad.”

The Minister of State has written a roadmap for the evolution of the structure of the MEB. It aims to strengthen the influence of Monaco abroad by coordinating the actions of the Principality and facilitating the operations of each.

President of the MEB Michel Dotta welcomed the new Executive Director as “a very high-level professional and expert from abroad.”

The general assembly ended with a celebration of the MEB’s 20th anniversary in the presence of Prince Albert and other personalities.