Prince Albert at the UN

Prince Albert took part in the opening of the General Debate of the 72nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on Tuesday, September 19.

Before delivering his speech, the Sovereign Prince submitted the Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Government of the Principality has made “support for persons with disabilities a priority” through its international cooperation policy, while in the Principality legal recognition “seeks to provide persons with disabilities with greater autonomy so that they may participate actively in the development of Monegasque society throughout their lives,” the Prince has said.

He also met the President of the Republic of Colombia, HE Juan Manuel Santos and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Cabo Verde, HE Ulisses Correia e Silva, in the framework of the scientific campaign of the Explorations of Monaco.

The Sovereign Prince took part in the lunch offered to the Heads of Delegation by HE Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations.

The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, presented the preliminary draft of the Global Compact for the Environment.

Prince Albert has said he wishes to express his great interest in this document with a universal and binding application which recognises the right of future generations to sustainable development and aims to institute a follow-up mechanism composed of independent experts.

He recalled that the Bruntland Report and the Stockholm Conference of 1972 constituted the birth of environmental law, and that the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, better known as “Rio 1992”, took on the pre-existing concept of sustainable development, as well as the principles included in the French project: prevention, precaution, compensation for damage, information and participation.

Indeed, environmental law is unique in that over time it has developed through the adoption of national legislation, sectoral international conventions, case law of state or supra-national courts and documents adopted at United Nations summits.

The Sovereign Prince will therefore give the utmost attention to the future of the Pact, which aims to establish a global partnership on a new and equitable basis.

In the evening, Prince Albert was expected to attend the traditional reception hosted by the President of the host country of the United Nations, Donald and Melania Trump.

The day before, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Principality of Monaco to the US and Canada,HE Maguy Maccario, accompanied Prince Albert on his first visit to Westpoint, the US Military Academy. Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco visited the institution in 1956.

“The Sovereign received a warm and most impressive welcome,” Ms Maccario Doyle commented.

READ MORE: Prince launches Explorations of Monaco