The Monaco Impis are out to prove that their 2023 Melrose Sevens Cup win was more than just beginner’s luck as they head to Scotland to defend their title.
At the end of next week, Monaco’s Rugby Sevens team, the Impis, will be travelling to The Greenyards for the annual Melrose Sevens tournament that is scheduled to take place between 11th to 13th April.
After their stunning inaugural performance at last year’s event, where they were crowned winners, and their more recent win at the 2023 Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, the Impis will be looking to replicate their success again at this intensive tournament once again.
A single defeat means elimination at the Melrose Sevens and the Impis will have to be on top form to repeat their 2023 win.
They will be supported at the event by General Secretary Gareth Wittstock, who recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming tournament with theoffsideline.com.
“The Impis name stands for resilience, courage and strength through adversity,” said Wittstock. “We were proud to showcase that last year and to be rewarded with such a meaningful trophy. We are extremely delighted to come back to Scotland in 2024. We know that we will be the team to beat, and that the trophy will be even harder to win now, but rest assured of one thing: we will defend our title with honour and determination.”
IMPIS STARS
The team is a true melting pot, made up of two players from AS Monaco Rugby, Augustin Slowik and Loic Legal, along with three players from the Monegasque national team, Dorian Danthez, Tristan Nardi and Hugo Bartnik. The side is then completed by players from France, South Africa, Scotland and Jamaica.
Prior to the start of the tournament, which is the world’s oldest Sevens event, having been founded in 1883, the Impis team and their support staff will take part in a series of anti-drowning workshops organised in conjunction with the Princess Charlene Foundation. The Impis famously sport the colours of the Princess’ foundation on their kit.
Monaco Life speaks to Emmanuel Zuñiga Garcia to learn more about his diplomatic ambitions and the Honduras Embassy’s close cooperation with the Ibero-American Association of Monaco (AMI) in organising their upcoming fundraiser, a Gastronomy Gala, at the Yacht Club de Monaco.
The AMI, presided over by Sheramin Beauseigneur, works with governments, businesses and reputable personalities to build bridges between Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Monaco, and on 16th May, the association will be hosting a gastronomic gala honouring the Republic of Honduras at the Yacht Club de Monaco.
This event is being organised under the patronage of the Embassy of Honduras in Paris and by a team led by Minister Emmanuel Zuñiga Garcia, Honduras’ representatives in Monaco, and the Monaco Department of National Education.
At the event, the skilled students of the Monaco Technical and Hospitality School will have the chance to work alongside four renowned chefs from Honduras: Javier Kee Ham Hernandez, Carlos Alberto Espinal, Jose Luis Escalante Oliva and Israel Navarro, as well as the experienced barman Augusto Roberto Santos Gonzalez. Together, they will prepare an elaborate gourmet dinner for the privileged guests of the Gastronomy Gala.
Through ancestral flavours, the AMI and Emmanuel Zuñiga Garcia aim to promote understanding, respect and appreciation for Honduras’s gastronomy and cultural heritage, foster international interaction and cooperation, and raise funds for regional solidarity projects.
Monaco Life: Can you tell us more about yourself and your diplomatic career?
Emmanuel Zuñiga Garcia: I am a lawyer born and raised in Honduras. [Being] Minister is my first diplomatic assignment, and we [my team and I] are part of a new government striving to cement the foundations of a better, progressive country. With that spirit in mind, we have assumed the challenge of representing Honduras abroad, putting our capabilities at the nation’s service, [a nation] led by the first female president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro Sarmiento. Previously, I served seven years in the government’s anti-corruption sector, specifically in civil society, and trained as an arbitrator and secretary for the Arbitral Tribunal of the Chamber of Commerce of Tegucigalpa (CCIT).
How would you define your role as Minister of Cultural and Business Affairs?
I consider the role of a minister to be exceptionally versatile and empowering; it facilitates efforts and establishes solid connections with the authorities of the Receiving State and important economic actors to increase the levels of cooperation, integration, cultural and commercial relations, and other national objectives.
“The minister has a crucial function of opening doors in diplomacy.”
The minister’s relevance as second in command of an embassy is very significant since they participate in all relevant processes, especially in terms of executing foreign policy, promotion and international cooperation. This is in addition to the work carried out to support the Honduran diaspora and the consular section. The minister has a crucial function of opening doors in diplomacy.
What is your opinion of the value of cultural diplomacy in international relations?
Cultural diplomacy should be given greater relevance and prominence in international relations. The cultural component can become an element to bring visions, peoples and nations closer together; [it is] an essential tool in eliminating barriers and creating an atmosphere of peace and global prosperity.
Honduras, photo source: Unsplash
What are your goals as Minister of Cultural and Business Affairs for the Embassy of Honduras in Monaco?
Monaco is globally relevant due to its exceptional touristic and commercial position, and cultural exchange is one of the essential pillars for the consolidation of bilateral relations.
Essentially, the objective is to create links between Honduras and the Principality so that Monegasques and residents alike can learn about Honduras and be encouraged to consider it an attractive tourist destination that offers top gastronomy and extraordinary cultural wealth. We wish to encourage and promote investments in areas of bilateral interest and establish institutional links to allow us to have prosperous relationships and cooperation agreements between governments. At a later, more advanced stage, we want to bring study or employment opportunities to young Hondurans in Monaco.
In your opinion, how does the AMI help promote cross-cultural understanding between Honduras and Monaco?
The AMI does laudable, creative and innovative work to strengthen ties between Monaco and Latin America. Their initiatives positively impact promoting our region. AMI’s support will help us open doors in Monaco, meet key influential people and get closer to our goal of rapprochement between Honduras and the Principality.
How is the Cultural Department of your Embassy supporting the AMI’s upcoming diplomatic gastronomy event at the Yacht Club de Monaco?
We received the proposal from the AMI with great enthusiasm as we saw it as a valuable opportunity to promote Honduran gastronomy in Monaco. We submitted the association’s request and the Central Government was pleased to accept the collaboration in organising the Gastronomic Gala. It is imperative to assist in these initiatives to promote our country actively.
We are planning the Gala and [will be] publicising Honduras’ cultural advantages and ancestral flavours. For this purpose, we formed a working team with members of the Honduran Foreign Ministry and the Secretariats of Culture and Tourism. We periodically hold virtual coordination meetings to agree on every detail of our participation in this significant event.
How relevant do you think gastronomy, art and music are as accessible forms of cultural diplomacy?
Cooking, arts and crafts, and folklore music transport us to different places; they bring us memories of people or situations that are important to each of us. Through these participatory events, we delve into personal, family or group layers, and this undoubtedly identifies and connects us all, which is why we value them as a highly positive space for nurturing interaction benefiting both countries.
How do you promote your country? What aspects of Honduran culture do you think are the most relevant?
Honduras is a country that has invaluable cultural, ecological and gastronomic wealth, and we aim to publicise the best we have to offer. We mainly promote culture through advertising on different official and public channels, social networks and other media, and through participating in international fairs and cultural events.
To attract visitors, we emphasise that Honduras enjoys an unparalleled geographical and strategic position, being in the heart of the Americas. It has it all!
We have beautiful beaches and coastal areas bathed by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The second most important barrier reef in the world is in Roatán, a popular diving destination for many cruises. There are also fascinating archaeological and colonial sites worth visiting.
Our exotic flora and fauna are exceptional, and we promote ecotourism through mountains and forests with a rich ecological diversity and natural reserves with high biodiversity. The agricultural environment is unrivaled, producing cocoa, coffee, bananas, oil, tobacco and more.
Honduras also has a significant cultural wealth reflected in our native peoples and their longtime traditions. To top it all off, we add our gastronomy, characterised by foods based on corn, cassava, banana, beans and avocado, among others, where you conjugate typical delicious dishes from the mountains to the coastal areas with a highly hospitable and attentive population.
As we say… Honduras, everything is here! Naturally yours!
What are the key challenges facing cultural diplomacy today?
Diplomacy faces many struggles because we live in a turbulent world marked by economic and cultural differences. The solution to all conflicts is peace and understanding via collaborative and sincere open communication between all countries and international players. We must recognise that each of us has an important role and respect people’s sovereignty by protecting fundamental universal rights.
The primary mission of cultural diplomacy is to reduce the divergences that may naturally exist between human beings, achieving unity through artistic, cultural and tourist exchange. The main path to peace is dialogue, so our role is fundamental in bringing together conflicting opinions, resolving controversies and seeking real integration between countries. Cooperation is paramount in reducing the impact of the scourges that afflict us worldwide, be it poverty, hunger, crime, terrorism or corruption.
How do you foster mutual understanding between different cultures?
It is necessary to prioritise empathy and openness to learn about other cultures, as well as understanding and solidarity, which are essential principles in the daily life of everyone in society and must be permanently present in the foreign policy of every country.
To achieve mutual understanding, we should develop actions focused on three macro vertices: continuously develop spaces for cultural exchange that allow us to promote and disseminate our customs, traditions and cultural wealth; create socio-cultural, commercial and governmental networks aimed at creating an environment conducive to sustaining cultural exchanges and dynamic and efficient cooperation; and generate development initiatives and short, medium and long-term cooperation agreements between countries.
For information on the AMI’s Honduras Gastronomy Gala, send an email to amimonaco21@gmail.com.
Main photo: Sheramin Beauseigneur, President of AMI, with Emmanuel Zuñiga Garcia, Minister of Cultural and Business Affairs, Embassy of Honduras for Monaco and France, in Paris
Sports round-up: AS Monaco dominate 2-5 against Metz, Roca Team’s fortunes falter
It was an up and down weekend for Monaco’s leading basketball and football teams, with a mixed bag of results for the Roca Team contrasting sharply with AS Monaco’s epic 2-5 win against FC Metz.
AS Monaco Basket’s EuroLeague game against Asvel on Thursday 28th March was an away fixture at the LDLC Arena.
Despite an 11-point deficit at one point, the team, guided by Coach Sasa Obradovic, turned the game around to secure an 77-87 win. This is the team’s 10th consecutive victory against the Lyon-based side.
“The fourth quarter is the way we need to play, especially defensively,” said Obradovic post-game, emphasising the importance of the Roca Team’s defensive strategy and the crucial role it played in their eventual victory.
The win has helped solidify AS Monaco’s position within the Top 3 of the EuroLeague standings and keep their playoff aspirations well within reach.
However, the team’s fortunes were reversed in the Betclic Elite arena on Saturday 30th March, when the Roca Team came up against Saint-Quentin in the Palais des Sports Pierre-Ratte.
It was a heartbreaking defeat that concluded with a last-second score, and the Rouges et Blancs only narrowly missed out on success, with a final tally of 71-69.
This marks their third defeat of the season in the French domestic league.
“We conceded a lot of defensive errors, and this lack of skill is costing us dearly,” Captain Yakuba Ouattara acknowledged, signalling the need for adjustments as the team looks ahead.
AS Monaco cements position in Ligue 1 standings
Switching gears to football, AS Monaco triumphed over FC Metz with a 2-5 victory on Saturday 30th March at the Stade Saint-Symphorien.
The victory in Ligue 1 temporarily boosted AS Monaco to second place in the league, behind Paris Saint Germain. However, their rivals for the coveted spot, Stade Brestois 29, made a comeback to claim an extra point over the Monegasque side the following day.
Folarin Balogun delivered a standout performance, scoring twice, with earlier goals coming from Takumi Minamino, Maghnes Akliouche and Vanderson.
Folarin Balogun scored two of AS Monaco’s five goals against FC Metz. Photo credit: AS Monaco
Wilfried Singo, a defending player for Les Monégasques, reflected on the team’s preparedness, saying, “We fought hard, and finally we came away with a big victory.”
The number of “definitive deregistrations” or company strike-offs rose by more than 21% in Monaco over the course of 2023, according to the latest figures by IMSEE.
The 2023 Q4 Economic Report by Monaco’s statistics agency IMSEE reveals that 534 businesses were de-registered last year – a significant increase of 21.1% on the previous year. That number was higher still among the companies logged with the Trade and Industry Directory, the Répertoire du Commerce et de l’Industrie de Monaco or RCI. Among these companies, close to 23% were closed.
In contrast, 855 new business or companies were founded in Monaco last year, which equates to a 1.7% drop on 2022 figures. Again, those recorded in the RCI noted a more noticeable contraction of 10%.
While strike-offs had been on the rise throughout the year, the rate at which companies were formally declared to be closed picked up in the second half of the year.
According to IMSEE, the sharp increase in business closures was the “result of a significant regularisation process.”
In 2023, warnings from the Monaco Government regarding a new legal obligation for all companies, civil or commercial, to declare their beneficial owners also began to increase. It was one of the requests made by Moneyval, the anti-money laundering body of the Council of Europe, in its January 2023 report that identified key areas in which Monaco needed to improve its financial supervisory systems.
A request asking Monaco-registered businesses to comply and ensure that their ownership details were up to date was issued in May 2023, along with a warning that “cases of legal entities whose legal status is irregular will be referred to the Court of First Instance”.
As reported by Monaco Life at the time, “A beneficial owner ultimately holds, directly or indirectly, at least 25% of the company’s capital or voting rights; they effectively exercise a power of control over the company by any other means, for example, they can appoint or dismiss the majority of the members of the management bodies; or it is the person or persons who legally represent the company, for example, the manager, managing director, etc.”
After a series of general information conferences, events and reminders, aimed at encouraging owners of “unclaimed companies” to come forward, a full list of the companies that had failed to provide the necessary information was made available to the public. It can be viewed here.
The list is described as containing: “any non-trading companies for which a lack of a registered office has been identified or for which statutory term has expired [and] any trading company whose business license or declaration has been revoked or rendered ineffective due to lack of registered office or business activity”.
Online voting for the Public Award at the Prince Albert II of Monaco’s Environmental Photography Awards has begun, giving people around the world a chance to vote for their favourite – and for some, the most poignant – images of 2024.
The Public Award for the Prince Albert II Foundation Environmental Photography Awards gives lovers of nature photography the opportunity to act as part of a worldwide jury by casting their vote on the top submissions in this eclectic category.
The online voting portal, which displays each of the images shortlisted, was launched on 2nd April and can be found here. Votes will be accepted until 14th April.
The winner will receive a €500 prize and their photo will be featured in the 2024 public exhibition in Monaco as well as in the official catalogue.
2024 AWARDS
The main 2024 Environmental Photography Awards will feature 36 images handpicked by a select jury from more than 11,000 entries. There are five categories – Polar Wonders, Ocean Worlds, Into the Forest, Change Makers, Reasons to Hope and Humanity versus Nature – and the Public Award features a mix of the best.
This year’s winners, who will follow in the steps of last year’s Grand Prize and Public Award winner Jasper Doest, are set to be announced on 4th June.
The public exhibition will be held on the Promenade du Larvotto until 30th July, before the show hits the road for an international tour.
The French government’s plans to help France achieve the 2030 digital transformation goals set out by the European Union include an increased emphasis on early digital learning, support for businesses and the rollout of digital systems for 250 essential public services.
On 25th March, the French government unveiled its roadmap for the future. The new strategy, which builds upon the EU’s own plans to make the 2020s the “digital decade” for Europe, comes after a 2023 report found France to be lagging behind its neighbours in terms of the digital transformation of public services and the espousal of digital technology by the nation’s small and medium-sized businesses.
The new plans are focused on the four key pillars of digital skills, digital infrastructure, digital conversion of businesses and the digitalisation of public services.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
To meet these missions head on, the government has pledged to up the ante regarding country-wide fibre optics and 4G access as well as to improve the support available for businesses in the digital age. A total of 250 essential public service administrations will also be fully digitalised by 2025 and there are forthcoming changes to education, including an increased focus on maths and the nationwide teaching of digital skills from primary school.
France ranked 12th in the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index, an indicator that the European Commission uses to monitor the progress made by member states.
For more information on the measures and steps included in the plans, click here.
