Prince Albert II has delivered a rousing speech on the themes of peace, human dignity and the need for an increased focus on sustainable development at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Over the weekend, Monaco’s Prince Albert travelled to the UN Headquarters in New York to attend the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
The Monegasque sovereign packed a lot into his two-day visit, which began on Sunday 22nd September with a meeting with the leaders of the Post Conflict Development Foundation at Monaco’s Permanent Mission to the UN. Here, he presented an award bearing his name to Léa Chaki, a climate activist who works as a UN Youth Representative for the foundation.
From there, the Prince headed off for a meeting with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) president, Thomas Bach. The two signed a partnership agreement between the IOC and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation that will see the institutions work together to “promote the emergence of future leaders in the fields of environmental protection and the sharing of universal sports values”.
The focus then switched to the situation in Ukraine as Prince Albert attended a bilateral meeting with Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of the Republic of Latvia. The two leaders also discussed Latvia’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Later that afternoon, the Prince was given a tour of the Explorer’s Club in New York before attending a conference on the future of the world’s polar regions. The talks covered the impact of climate change in the Arctic and the consequences that climatic disruptions are having on the indigenous peoples—two issues that feature prominently in the work of Prince Albert’s eponymous foundation.
In the evening, the Prince was invited to an exclusive dinner in the presence of members of the IOC at the behest of Bach.
The following day, Monday 23rd September, Prince Albert attended the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, an annual event that brings together representatives from the UN’s 193 member states.
The theme of this year’s assembly was ‘Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for Peace, Sustainable Development and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations’, and Monaco’s Prince played a part in advancing these goals by delivering a thoughtful speech that touched on the Principality’s commitments to “the futures of our children and of our planet”.
After thanking António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, for giving him a platform to address the assembly, the Prince spoke of his desire for a world that is “more equal and prosperous for all”.
“Peace is our most precious asset,” said the Prince. “Without peace, it is impossible to ensure access to fundamental human rights… Restoring peace is our collective responsibility – and urgently.”
Prince Albert, a staunch conservationist and prominent voice in the world of environmental protection, pointed to the links between “international tensions” and the “environmental crisis, climate change and a loss of biodiversity”. He called on those present to respect their commitments to the 56 pledges of the Pact for the Future, adopted by the UN on Sunday 22nd September , which includes “bold, ambitious, accelerated, just and transformative actions to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to place the eradication of poverty at the centre of the efforts to do that”.
The Prince then raised the issue of gender equality and parity, saying, “Women’s empowerment is a key lever in social, economic, and political progress”.
He also called on the nations present to come together to increase their collective efforts to safeguard the environment, notably the oceans, and urged for swift action in the name of sustainable development and essential climate goals.
To watch Prince Albert’s full speech, see below:
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Photo credit: Michael Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco
