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Day: 24 December 2025

Monaco elected vice-president of Mediterranean environmental programme

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/12/2025

Monaco was elected vice-president of the Mediterranean Action Plan Bureau at a major environmental conference in Cairo this month, reflecting growing diplomatic influence in regional marine protection efforts.

The unanimous vote came during the 24th Conference of Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention on protecting the Mediterranean Sea and coastal zone, held from 2nd to 5th December under the UN Environment Programme. Monaco’s delegation was led by Tidiani Couma, Head of Division at the Department of External Relations and Cooperation.

The election recognises Monaco’s sustained engagement in Mediterranean marine and coastal protection, as well as its diplomatic role promoting regional cooperation and environmental multilateralism. The Barcelona Convention brings together Mediterranean countries to coordinate pollution prevention and protection measures.

Symbolic timing

The Cairo conference, themed ‘Blue Growth in the Mediterranean: Towards a Resilient and Sustainable Future’, coincided with several milestones. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Mediterranean Action Plan, the Barcelona Convention’s executive body, and the 30th anniversary of the convention in its current form. The gathering also took place as the BBNJ Agreement on high seas biodiversity prepares to enter force.

Monaco brought a substantial delegation including representatives from the Prince Albert II Foundation and MedFund, alongside organisations headquartered in the Principality such as the ACCOBAMS Agreement and Pelagos Sanctuary secretariats. The presence of multiple Monaco-based entities underscored the Principality’s position as a hub for Mediterranean environmental governance.

Priorities aligned with Monaco’s agenda

The conference agenda aligned closely with Monaco’s maritime priorities, covering marine biodiversity, pollution control including plastics, marine protected areas, marine scientific research, the Mediterranean’s economic and social value, human activity and climate change impacts, and civil society’s role.

Monaco’s delegation noted these issues have been championed by Prince Albert II for years, reaffirming the Principality’s sustained commitment to Mediterranean Sea protection. The Prince has made ocean conservation a central pillar of Monaco’s international environmental diplomacy.

The vice-presidency gives Monaco increased influence over the Mediterranean Action Plan’s direction at a time when the region faces mounting pressures from pollution, overfishing, coastal development and climate change. The Mediterranean, despite representing less than one percent of global ocean surface, contains significant biodiversity and faces disproportionate environmental challenges.

Monaco’s election reflects how small states can wield diplomatic influence in specialised areas. The Principality has built credibility through consistent engagement, hosting relevant institutions, and financial support for Mediterranean environmental initiatives including MedFund, which finances marine protected areas across the region.

The Barcelona Convention serves as one of the UN Environment Programme’s Regional Seas programmes, providing a legal framework for Mediterranean countries to coordinate environmental protection. Monaco’s new role positions it to shape regional priorities through 2027.

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Monaco’s blockbuster ‘Colours!’ exhibition travels to Beijing for 2026 show

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/12/2025

The ‘Colours! Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou’ exhibition, which captivated audiences throughout the summer in Monaco, will be presented at the Beijing Minsheng Art Museum from 24th January to 15th April 2026.

The show represents the Grimaldi Forum Monaco’s 20th international touring exhibition since its creation, confirming its unique position as a cultural institution serving the artistic influence of the Principality. Sylvie Biancheri, General Director of the Grimaldi Forum, described the opportunity as a source of joy for the organisation.

Summer 2025 success exported to China

The Monaco presentation proved a major cultural event, attracting 76,500 visitors in less than two months and ranking in the top three most visited exhibitions in the Grimaldi Forum’s history. Produced in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, the exhibition offered a multisensory immersion into 20th-century masterpieces, inviting audiences to see, smell and hear colours.

Following this success, the Beijing Minsheng Art Museum selected the exhibition as its next major show, anticipating visitor numbers on a new scale. The Chinese institution has entrusted the Grimaldi Forum Monaco with the entire conception of the exhibition, including reimagined installation, original scenography and bespoke logistical implementation, drawing on the Monaco venue’s 25 years of expertise in cultural and event engineering.

Redesigned scenography by Monaco team

The artistic team brings together Didier Ottinger, Deputy Director of the Musée national d’art moderne and curator of the original Monaco exhibition, and Dr Luo Yi, Chinese co-curator, with support from Catherine Alestchenkoff, Director of Cultural Events at the Grimaldi Forum. The scenography is designed by William Chatelain, Head of Studies and Space Design at the Grimaldi Forum, who has created the majority of the Monaco cultural and congress centre’s scenographies since 2015.

The exhibition will feature 70 masterpieces from the 20th century drawn from the Centre Pompidou collections alongside 17 works by contemporary Chinese artists, offering a cross-cultural perspective on sensibilities and creative traditions.

Dialogue between Western and Chinese art

Beyond scenography, the exhibition highlights the meeting between Western art and Chinese creation. Integrated into the Beijing Minsheng Art Museum’s programme aimed at strengthening links between the public and art, it marks a new stage in the institution’s opening to Western modern and contemporary art.

The collaboration also represents a significant cultural exchange between Monaco and China. The Grimaldi Forum has previously turned towards Asia, notably with the exhibition ‘Princes & Princesses of Monaco, a European Dynasty’ (13th-21st century) presented at the Forbidden City in 2018.

See also: 

A symphony of senses: Colours! exhibition transforms the Grimaldi Forum into a living canvas

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Photo source: Grimaldi Forum Monaco 

Mauritanian civil security officials visit Monaco to strengthen 25-year partnership

by: Cassandra Tanti
24/12/2025

Mauritania’s civil security leadership spent a week in Monaco examining firefighting techniques and planning the next phase of a partnership that has spanned more than 25 years.

The General Delegation for Civil Security and Crisis Management visited the Principality from 15th to 19th December as part of a long-standing partnership between Monaco and Mauritania on civil security matters. The visit reaffirms close collaborative ties between firefighters from both countries.

With the partnership recently renewed through 2027, Mauritanian representatives participated in equipment demonstrations and intervention exercises by Monaco’s Fire Brigade, focusing particularly on structural fire challenges.

Ministerial discussions on future actions

Meetings between Brigadier General Abou EL MAALY EL HADY SIDI OULD AMAR, Mauritania’s General Delegate for Civil Security and Crisis Management, and Monaco’s Ministers Isabelle Berro-Amadei (External Relations and Cooperation) and Lionel Beffre (Interior) addressed actions to develop in the coming years.

Monaco’s International Cooperation Directorate has supported Mauritanian civil security in its protection and rescue missions for over 25 years. The cooperation benefits from expertise provided by Colonel Varo, Superior Commander of Monaco’s Public Force, technical support from Monaco’s Fire Brigade led by Lieutenant-Colonel Yvrard, and on-the-ground involvement from Monaco’s Consul in Mauritania, Aly Gueladio Kamara.

Tangible results over 25 years

Major achievements include construction of three emergency stations in Nouakchott, doubling coverage of Mauritania’s capital, and creation of a sea rescue brigade conducting beach surveillance missions.

The cooperation has also established a team of 14 local trainers who have made it possible to internalise initial training for new recruits, reducing dependence on external expertise. Monaco has strengthened Mauritania’s disaster response capabilities through equipment and material donations.

The partnership represents one of Monaco’s longer-running international cooperation programmes, demonstrating how a small state can provide meaningful technical assistance in specialised areas like emergency services.

Monaco’s approach focuses on building local capacity rather than creating dependency, evident in the training programmes that enable Mauritanian civil security to educate its own personnel. The construction of permanent infrastructure like emergency stations provides lasting benefits beyond the cooperation programme itself.

The renewed partnership through 2027 suggests both countries see value in continuing the technical exchange, with Monaco’s firefighting expertise complementing Mauritania’s developing emergency response systems.

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Photo credit: Direction de la Communication – Manuel Vitali