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Day: 28 May 2026

Monaco calls for WHO reform at World Health Assembly in Geneva

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/05/2026

Monaco’s Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Christophe Robino, led the Principality’s delegation to the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva from 18th to 23rd May, using the forum to call for ambitious reform of the World Health Organisation.

Robino was accompanied by Ambassador Carole Lanteri, Monaco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva. This year’s general debate was held under the theme ‘Redefining Global Health: A Shared Responsibility’.

Call for a stronger WHO

Speaking during the general debate, Robino stressed the need for the WHO to operate with greater clarity, agility, and impact in an international environment strained by an unprecedented number of conflicts. He reaffirmed Monaco’s longstanding commitment to the Organisation and to multilateralism more broadly, according to a government statement.

Monaco’s intervention on health priorities

Monaco took the floor on several priority issues on the Assembly’s agenda, including health emergencies, the place of health within the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and mental health.

On the sidelines of the Assembly, the delegation participated in a number of parallel events, including a session on the mental health of young people in the age of social media — a subject the Princely Government is currently examining as part of its own ongoing work on the issue.

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Photo source: Government Communications Department 

Monaco presents Indian Ocean mission report at Blue Initiative with 25 recommendations for marine governance

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/05/2026

The Explorations de Monaco presented the final report of their 2022 Indian Ocean mission at the Oceanographic Museum on Wednesday, as part of the Monaco Blue Initiative, four years after the expedition was conducted across waters shared by Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the Saya de Malha Bank — one of the world’s largest submerged landmasses.

The presentation brought together Monaco’s Minister of State Christophe Mirmand, Foreign Affairs Minister Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, Mauritius Agriculture and Blue Economy Minister Dr Arvin Boolell, and Seychelles Principal Minister and Fisheries Minister Wallace Cosgrow, alongside scientific and institutional stakeholders from across the region.

Twenty-five recommendations

The report’s conclusions centre on four priority areas: the preservation of marine ecosystems, the sustainable management of fisheries resources, the fight against human-driven pressures on the ocean, and the strengthening of regional cooperation.

Twenty-five recommendations were formally presented, developed through a collaborative Science to Policy Workshop held in Port Louis, Mauritius, in November 2025. They focus on improving scientific monitoring, consolidating the link between research and policy decision-making, and supporting concrete action for the long-term sustainability of Indian Ocean marine spaces.

Photo credit: Philippe Fitte

BBNJ as a framework for progress

Discussions highlighted the potential of the BBNJ Agreement — the UN High Seas Treaty that entered into force in 2024 — to address the growing environmental challenges facing the south-western Indian Ocean, particularly in relation to the governance of areas beyond national jurisdiction. The Joint Management Area shared between Mauritius and the Seychelles was a focal point of the mission and its recommendations.

Participants underlined the need for integrated, science-based governance built on data sharing and cooperation between regional and international institutions — precisely the kind of multilateral framework that the Monaco Blue Initiative was convened to advance.

Monaco’s ocean commitment

The Explorations de Monaco was established at the initiative of the Monegasque Government and brings together the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Oceanographic Institute, the Scientific Centre of Monaco, and the Yacht Club de Monaco. It coordinates international collaborative missions linking Monegasque institutions with partners around the world.

The Indian Ocean report presentation came on the same day as the Blue Initiative’s panel discussions on BBNJ implementation and high seas marine protected areas, reinforcing Monaco’s position as a key convener of international ocean governance during its presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.

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Photo credit: Philippe Fitte

Monaco has more centenarians per capita than anywhere in the world — and women are closing the gap with men

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/05/2026

Monaco’s 2025 census has confirmed the Principality’s status as the world’s oldest country by population, with 60 residents aged 100 or over among fewer than 39,000 inhabitants — the highest number of centenarians per capita of any nation.

The latest figures from IMSEE reinforce Monaco’s unique demographic profile. The Principality not only leads the world in centenarians per capita, ahead of Hong Kong, Japan and Uruguay, but also records the planet’s highest proportion of residents aged 65 and over, at around 37%, alongside a life expectancy of 87 years. The new census data offers further insight into how Monaco’s population is continuing to age, while also revealing subtle shifts in the gender balance across different age groups.

Women are catching up

For most of Monaco’s modern history, women have lived significantly longer than men. That gap is narrowing. The average age of residents in 2025 stands at 47.2 years — 47.7 for women, 46.5 for men — and the gender difference has fallen from 3.3 years in 2000 to just 1.2 years today. It is the first time since the turn of the century that the mean age has actually dipped, albeit fractionally.

Before the age of 30, the population is almost perfectly balanced between men and women. In the 55 to 64 bracket — the largest single cohort in the Principality, accounting for 16.2% of all residents — men hold a slight numerical advantage, peaking at 383 men at age 62 compared with 324 women at age 59.

From 70 onwards, the balance tips. Women account for 54.1% of residents aged 70 and over, and by 75 the divergence widens further: women make up 16.3% of the total female population in that age group, against 13.5% of men.

Of Monaco’s 60 centenarians in 2025, the majority were women — consistent with global patterns of female longevity, even as the gap between the sexes continues to close.

A population unlike any other

The shape of Monaco’s age pyramid is striking. Nearly 5,800 residents — 14.9% of the population — are aged 75 or over, a proportion almost identical to that of residents under 16, who account for 15.1%. In most countries, the young significantly outnumber the very old. In Monaco, they are in almost perfect equilibrium.

The total resident population stands at 38,857, split between 19,127 men and 19,730 women. Among the 32,629 adults, more than half are married and nearly a third are single. Men are proportionally more likely to be married than women — 52.7% against 48.5% — while women are more likely to be widowed, a reflection of their longer survival.

Monaco’s longevity is attributed to a combination of factors: advanced medical infrastructure, Mediterranean diet, mild climate, and a resident population with the means to access the best available healthcare. The census suggests those advantages are increasingly shared between the sexes.

See also:

How Monaco’s population has changed over a decade — and who is moving in now

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Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti

 

Princess Charlene and Prince Albert foundations unite around sport and ocean protection

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/05/2026

The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation have formally signed a partnership agreement placing sport at the service of ocean awareness, with the couple present for the signing at the 17th edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative on Wednesday 27th May.

The agreement was signed by Anne Boggio, CEO of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, and Romain Ciarlet, Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. It marks the first formal collaboration between two institutions whose missions have long run in parallel — one focused on ocean knowledge and governance, the other on sport, education, and drowning prevention.

A crossing for the Pelagos Sanctuary

The partnership’s first public expression will be a water bike crossing from Viareggio, Italy, to Monaco on 19th and 20th June, under the name ‘Together Crossing for the Pelago’. The event will traverse the Pelagos Sanctuary, the first transboundary marine protected area in the Mediterranean, extending over 87,500 km² between France, Monaco, and Italy and dedicated to the protection of marine mammals including several species of whales and dolphins.

Princess Charlene addressed the Monaco Blue Initiative crowd directly during the partnership announcement. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger, Manuel Vitali, Prince’s Palace

Speaking at the signing, Princess Charlene said: “By connecting sport with ocean conservation, my Foundation aims, through The Crossing taking place in June, to inspire engagement, promote the protection of the Mediterranean, and demonstrate that human achievement and environmental responsibility can move forward together.”

Prince Albert II welcomed the partnership as part of a broader philanthropic responsibility, saying: “This year, our two Foundations have formed a partnership on sport and the environment. Within it, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation will hold in the coming weeks an event to raise public awareness. It builds on the work we have shaped around the Pelagos Sanctuary, which protects marine mammals in the Mediterranean.”

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene witnessed the signing of the agreement between Romain Ciarlet, Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and Anne Boggio, CEO of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger, Manuel Vitali, Prince’s Palace

Three shared priorities

The two foundations have identified three areas of joint focus: drowning prevention, swimming education, and marine conservation in the Mediterranean. Further joint initiatives are expected to be announced in the coming months, combining field-based action, awareness-raising and sporting events.

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Main photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger, Manuel Vitali, Prince’s Palace