The Scientific Centre of Monaco has been awarded a spot on the prestigious Global Virus Network, a conglomerate of experts from 37 countries who work with every class of virus that causes human disease.
Representing 69 Centres of Excellence and 11 Affiliates, the Global Virus Network was founded in 2011 as a defense against viral diseases. Their work is dedicated to “understanding, preventing and eradicating viral disease threats to mankind” as well as to learn more about how viruses make people sick and to use that knowledge to develop drugs and vaccines against them.
Now, the Scientific Centre of Monaco (CSM) is joining them as their newest affiliate.
“Just last year, we co-hosted a significant international meeting with Monaco to help curb the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in developing nations, and focus on establishing innovative platforms for the diagnostics of key human pathogens and drive innovative public health strategies to monitor the efficacy of vaccines against Covid,” said Christian Bréchot, President of the GVN. “I look forward to working with the Scientific Centre of Monaco and its partners in the Principality of Monaco to build global collaboration efforts to identify cutting-edge technologies, integrate the impact of environmental changes on biodiversity and nutrition and prepare for future pandemics.”
CSM is more broadly known for their work in marine and polar biology research but has increasingly added human research in the last decade to their studies. Since 2013, the Department of Medical Biology has been advancing research programmes such as the mechanisms of innate immunity involved in the defence against infections affecting invertebrates and humans, cell metabolism and abnormal proliferation of tumour cells. The department also develops translation studies designed to transmit laboratory data as quickly as possible to patients suffering from cancer or muscular pathologies. The team has been dedicated to the management and financing of clinical research programmes that contribute to medicine, through the development of new therapeutic approaches.
“CSM looks forward to the exchange and synergy of scientific research projects with teams from the GVN,” said Dr Thomas Althaus, Public Health Expert at CSM. “While Monaco has its own national agenda, we aim to meet worldwide challenges like the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We see terrific potential for collaborations with GVN to improve diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and surveillance of public health global threats.”
“Ocean rights, like human rights, is about shifting our core values”
Efforts are underway to create a Declaration of Ocean Rights, similar to the concept of Human Rights and the Rights of Nature, giving the ocean legal status and the fundamental right to be protected. Michelle Bender, Founder of the Ocean Rights framework, tells us exactly how the declaration will work.
It was during Monaco Ocean Week, on Thursday 24th March at the Yacht Club of Monaco, that Relay4Nature was held, organised by the Ocean Race.
The issue on the table: Why do we need to give the ocean legal rights, and what does a Declaration of Ocean Rights actually look like?
“We have to talk about rights because of the way our western system is constructed,” says Michelle Bender, founder and creator of the Ocean Rights framework. “It’s a rights-based system and, unfortunately, if something is rightless, it is an object, a resource, property or utility. We have to shift how we value and treat nature, and rights is one way to do that.”
Bender is an environmental law and policy specialist at the Earth Law Centre in America. She also serves on the Executive Committee for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, a network of organisations and individuals committed to advancing this new paradigm internationally.
According to the Rights of Nature doctrine, an ecosystem is entitled to legal personhood status and, as such, has the right to defend itself in a court of law against harms, including environmental degradation caused by a specific development project or even by climate change.
The Rights of Nature framework recognises that an ecosystem has the right to exist, flourish, regenerate its vital cycles, and naturally evolve without human-caused disruption. Furthermore, when an ecosystem is declared a “subject of rights”, it has the right to legal representation by a guardian who will act on their behalf and in their best interest.
“We are really building upon a global momentum,” says Bender. “Rights of Nature is now in over 20 countries in some shape or form – at the global level, as well as the national, constitutional, and even parts of the judicial level. It’s this understanding that human wellbeing and human rights are embedded within and dependent upon nature – the air, clean water, jobs, our livelihoods. Rights of Nature is about recognising this reality in the legal system.”
The Relay4Nature discussion panel featuring former Ambassador to the UN for the Seychelles Ronny Jumeau, Ocean Campaign Director Michelle Bender, and Marine Biologist Dr. Antonio di Natale. Photo: Monaco Life
Michelle Bender points to Ecuador, which in 2008 became the first country in the world to recognise the Rights of Nature in its constitution, and the right of its citizens to defend and protect nature.
“We are learning a lot from Ecuador because it has been over a decade since the Rights of Nature were included in its constitution. To be honest, there are some challenges with implementing this, as we see with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We have these aspirations, but in order to put them into practice, we have to look at how we can implement their enforcement within national policies, the judicial system… Ecuador is showing us how we can construct these standards of decision making and principals for governance.”
Bender gives an example of the precautionary principle, which she says is a staple of environmental law. “Within Ecuador’s environmental code, they have evolved this principle to ‘in dubio pro natura’, from ‘When in doubt, err on the side of caution’, to ‘When in doubt, err on the side of nature’. It’s an evolution of the principle, saying that, in the absence of scientific certainty, we have to take preventative and restrictive measures.”
The second issue to consider is the standards: What is a healthy ocean? What is significant adverse harm? “We have to look at how to define what a healthy ocean is, based upon what the ocean needs to be healthy. It must be able to restore and have integrity.”
Finally, says Bender, the ocean needs to be given a voice and a seat at the table. “More than 20 ecosystems have already been taken out of normal property and designated as legal entities subject to rights,” says Bender. “Much of this has been in Colombia – the rivers, national parks, and the Colombian Amazon, but also in New Zealand – the Whanganui River, and the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in India.”
The New Zealand case is unique because the Parliament finalised the Te Awa Tupua Act, appointing two guardians of the river: one representative of the Maori Indigenous people and one representative of the government, arguably reconciling two different worldviews.
By giving the ocean a voice, it creates new management bonds; it becomes the duty of its representatives to have respect for the intrinsic value of an ecosystem, and also to speak on behalf of that ecosystem’s interests and needs. “If we’re talking about equity for all stakeholders, representation of all to shape the future, the ocean needs to be one of those stakeholders,” says Bender.
Creating a Declaration of Ocean Rights
Using New Zealand as an example, Bender says the first step is the establishment of a scientific and technical body to review the decisions and impact assessments, and help decide what activity to allow, to what extent, and how to protect areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Indigenous peoples, small island states, and local communities who are on the frontline of the climate crisis, must be included in this group, she adds.
“The concept of ocean rights and rights of nature is something that they understand deeply,” says Bender. “They have a strong relationship with the ocean, it is a source of life for them, it is an ancestor. They have customs and customary law that recognises their responsibility to be stewards and custodians of the ocean, and this has helped guide local governance of human activity in more of a reciprocal and harmonious manner. We can learn a lot from them, but we must do it in a very ethical way, being careful not to appropriate the knowledge.”
Photo by Rishi, Unsplash
She adds, “We are really likening it to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the Universal Declaration of Indigenous Peoples because we have these first and foremost rights, but they are also aspirations and understandings. Focussing on rights is really about what our values are and the shifting of our core values. One way to look at that is in principles – what principles are we going to have for governance that will hold us accountable?”
Granting the ocean legal rights might help arm it against injury under the law, but how does that translate into reality? Giving legal status to ecosystems has so far been mostly symbolic, and the success of a lawsuit is largely based on how a case is framed and the interests of the claimants. But as the number of lawsuits grows, a precedent will hopefully be set for national and local governments to act on biodiversity conservation by opposing projects that might prove destructive to a particular ecosystem.
What about the Law of the Sea?
The ocean is not completely unprotected from a legal standpoint. There exists the Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), signed in 1982 by 117 States and entered into force in 1994. However, it is restricted to the geographic jurisdictions of coastal States and the rights and duties among those States in the use and conservation of the ocean environment and its natural resources.
According Michelle Bender, UNCLOS is an outdated reference that focuses on state sovereignty, the right to exploit, and freedom of the seas.
“Article 192 creates the obligation for States to protect and preserve the marine environment, but there is no framework to implement or enforce this provision, nor really hold States accountable, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The negotiations to agree on a treaty to protect biodiversity on the high seas are underway and is going in the right direction, but we still see our effort as different.”
Monaco is part of this alternative push for a new treaty on the high seas. As a member of the intergovernmental conference, it contributed to the fourth and final session this month, finalising details for an international legally binding agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).
Still, Michelle Bender sees the Declaration of Ocean Rights as a completely separate, and fundamentally essential, set of rules.
“A Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights would create a new overarching framework rather than be integrated into existing agreements like UNCLOS,” she explains. “Earth-centred governance places human society within natural systems. It would create a fundamental change in the values and ethics that underlie our legal, governance and economic systems. In this process, we are asking ourselves what the ocean needs to be thriving and healthy, and how we can better manage human activity in a reciprocal and ecologically sustainable way.”
The next steps
In order to define the principles of the Declaration of Ocean Rights, a series of innovation workshops are being held, gathering together stakeholders and representatives, including lawyers and scientists, but also community members, indigenous peoples, government members and officials, those who are actively involved in ocean conservation. The aim is for the principles to be agreed upon by September 2023.
Then, the declaration must be ratified by States at the UN level, ideally no later than 2030. It is the year when, hopefully, a campaign to protect 30% of the oceans comes to fruition. Currently, only 2.7% of the world’s oceans are completely protected from commercial fishing, mining, oil drilling and other destructive activities.
Michelle Bender acknowledges that the implementation of the Declaration of Ocean Rights, its enforcement, and defining the commitment of individual States, will be the most difficult aspect: “Just like with human rights, it will probably take some time. But we must put the ocean at the centre of governance, and ask ourselves: how can we transform our relationship with nature?”
Discussions will continue at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon on 25th June.
A phenomenal second-half performance from AS Monaco Basketball against Armani Milan on Thursday (63-72) leaves the side on the brink of achieving the unthinkable. A place in the play-offs beckons.
The decision to sack Zvezdan Mitrovic and bring in former coach Sasa Obradovic mid-season seemed a risky one. With Monaco now knocking at the door of the play-offs, a feat that seemed unimaginable in the closing stages of Mitrovic’s reign, that move has undoubtedly paid dividends.
Should Alba Berlin lose on Friday against Anadolu Efes, the Roca Team’s qualification will be assured. Regardless of what happens in that match, Monaco can be reasonably confident that they have done enough to secure that play-off position.
In defeating Milan away from home, they secured their sixth win in seven Euroleague fixtures, whilst in all competitions, they now have 13 wins in their last 15 outings. Momentum will be with the side going into the crunch part of the season.
Despite a difficult first-half, in which Monaco narrowly lost both quarters, they never lost sight of their opposition. Defences reigned for large swathes of the match, but an energetic Italian offence allowed the home side to steadily construct an advantage, which at one point grew to 10 points.
Monaco then began to fight back. A spirited Q3 performance completely changed the direction of the match, as Monaco registered 18 points with their opponents registering just one. Donta Hall (16), who has gone from a peripheral figure to a key-man in recent weeks, was once again prominent. His dunks not only a solid source of points, but also a symbol of Monaco’s dominance in that quarter (6-20), with Mike James (19) an integral part in facilitating opportunities within the key.
Monaco managed their lead in the final quarter to run-out 63-72 winners, to the delight of the revelling Monegasque crowd, many of whom had made the trip by bus to support their side.
Post-match, Obradovic said, “I am really very happy, the guys did a marvellous job in defence and accomplished some big things in attack.” And on the side’s play-off aspirations he added, “We deserve to qualify.”
Monaco next comes up against Orleans at the Salle Gaston Medecin in the Betclic Elite. Their next, and final, match of the Euroleague season is against Berlin Alba next Friday, by which point Monaco may have already qualified.
AS Monaco became the first club in Ligue 1 to step into the metaverse by signing a partnership with Capital Block, a move designed to strengthen its NFT strategy.
Having dipped their feet in the NFT water back in August through their partnership with Sorare, AS Monaco have now gone a step further and, in doing so, become the first Ligue 1 club to collaborate with an NFT consulting agency. They are also one of the first to do so in European football.
Capital Block will help the club with their NFT strategy as it traverses a novel industry, which football clubs are only just starting to engage in. Principally, it will advise ASM on the creation and launch of its NFTs, as well as which NFT platforms to partner with.
The partnership will also bring something new to AS Monaco fans, or at least those engaged in the NFT community, as plans for exclusive products and experiences are already being drawn up.
In a press release from the club, Vice-President Oleg Petrov said, “We are pleased to launch the partnership with Capital Block, which will enable AS Monaco to strengthen its positioning in the field of digital innovation and improve the possibilities for fans to connect with the club.”
Petrov added that the use of NFTs will be a big part of the club’s strategy going forward, highlighting the importance of the new partnership in reaching their goals. “Each passing day confirms the growing appeal of NFTs. Capital Block’s expertise will enable us to better understand this universe, to grasp the issues related to it and define a solid and sustainable strategy,” continued Petrov.
Tim Mangnall, CEO of Capital Block added, “We are delighted to be working with AS Monaco and we are really looking forward to hitting the ground running with the club.”
Mangnall says he is confident of what his company can bring to everyone around the club: “We are really excited that football clubs across Europe are starting to realise the importance of an NFT strategy, and those that do, will benefit in many ways, as will their fans.”
Ahead of AS Monaco’s match against a lowly Metz this weekend, Philippe Clement and Ismail Jakobs spoke to the media on Friday addressing injuries, form and the impact of the international break.
Monaco Life attended training at AS Monaco’s training centre in La Turbie on Friday morning and can report an almost clean bill of health for Clement’s men. Most have come back from the recent international break completely unscathed.
One of the few to potentially miss Sunday’s match is Maghnes Akliouche. Clement told Monaco Life that the French youth international’s absence from Friday’s training was due to illness.
Cesc Fabregas, who injured his ankle during a friendly with Brentford B in February, a game which was meant to help rather than hinder his return from a muscular injury, is also back training with the group. However, Clement said that he too will not be involved against Metz.
Friday’s training session in La Turbie, photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life
Monaco finished on a high before the international break with a rampant 3-0 victory against PSG in front of a packed crowd at the Stade Louis II. Clement isn’t worried about having lost the momentum from that impressive victory almost two weeks ago.
“I don’t think you can win a match like that, in that way, without a good dynamic in the group,” he said. “It was already there before that success. There is a very good atmosphere.”
Monaco defender Ismail Jakobs went a step further, saying that those who remained with the side during the break benefited from it. “I would say the last couple of weeks we have worked more on the physical side of things. We have worked well, and I would even say that since the arrival of Clement, we have reached the next level,” the 22-year-old German told Monaco Life.
Despite this progress, there certainly wasn’t a sense of complacency from either Jakobs or Clement. The former went so far as to say that the match against the second-from-bottom side in Ligue 1 “may be even more difficult than PSG.”
On a tactical level, Clement is already well aware of how Metz are going to approach the match. The second-lowest scorers in the league, it is no surprise that they are accustomed to sitting in a deep low-block and rely largely on quick transitions to provide attacking threat. “There is going to be a wall. We’re going to have to break it. It is difficult to get around these set-ups, but we have the qualities to do it,” the Belgian told Monaco Life.
Currently sitting in seventh place in Ligue 1, eight points off the Champions League places, a win for Clement’s men against Metz on Sunday is a necessity, if they are to remain in the hunt for that all-important podium.
Photo of Ismail Jakobs by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life
The Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine World Congress (AMWC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, bringing together more than 8,000 participants in person and over 3,000 in the virtual realm.
Since 2021, the AMWC has offered a hybrid format, both physical and digital, that allows it to bring together a large number of participants from all over the globe.
Held from Thursday 31st to Saturday 2nd April, the congress offers nine scientific programme rooms, uniting specialists in aesthetic medicine and surgery and anti-aging medicine.
The Aesthetic Multispecialty Society is the official scientific partner of the AMWC, a committee of internationally recognised experts from all specialties in the field of aesthetic and anti-aging medicine.
In marking 20 years of the AMWC congress, Dr Phillipe Kestemont notes that one of the biggest changes over the past two decades has been the rise of social networks and the impact this has had on medical aesthetics.
“Instagram stands out from the crowd by highlighting a person’s image and self, with or without a filter,” he says. “We are facing a selfie generation that is narcissistic and in search of role models and influencers who impose trends and create new standards of beauty. Aesthetic medicine is naturally taking on considerable importance in the management of that image.”
The downside, says Dr Phillipe Kestemont, is the emergence of fraudulent ‘cosmetologists’, those with no training or diplomas and whose unauthorised medical procedures can lead to serious consequences, from a simple allergy to skin necrosis.
‘The Good, the bad, the ugly – everything you need to know about fillers’ is part of the AMWC’s wide-ranging programme, as well topics such as ‘A deep dive into cellular ageing’.
The congress features a long list of participants including Bio Science, Vivacy and Skineuticals.
This year’s edition of the AMWC Aesthetic Awards will recognise the best clinical cases presented by international practitioners in 10 categories and the best products in 12 categories. The awards ceremony will be held Friday 1st April in the auditoriums of the Grimaldi Forum.
Photo source: AMWC
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