Monaco
Statement by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco
At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015
New York, 26 September 2015
(Unofficial Translation)
Mr. Co-Presidents,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
Encouraged by the remarkable progress achieved by the Millennium Development Goals,
but alarmed by the scale of the new challenges that rise ahead including the threat of
climate change, we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations by adopting its
most holistic and transformative program.
We bear the ambition to develop a new ethics of responsibility and solidarity to unite us
for the next fifteen years.
In establishing the sustainable development goals, we have restored the connection that
brings us back to our origins, our cultures and our humanity. Children of one Earth and
one Ocean where life first originated, we embrace once again our common destiny.
The future of mankind cannot be conceived without the Planet's capacity to sustain it.
This inescapable evidence brings us back to basics and reminds us of the precious value
of natural resources and biodiversity that are necessary for our lives and that we have
however jeopardized.
We recognize the urgency to correct our excesses, which exacerbated the depletion of the
Planet while coping with the demands of an ever-growing world population. In the past
century and a half, we have neglected the Earth and the Ocean fertile and life saving,
indispensable to sustainable prosperity.
Empowered by our experiences and lessons learnt, let us resist the urge to give in into the
present, so that the twenty first century be the century of education, social justice, respect
for the rule of law and human rights, cornerstones of Peace. Let us evolve towards ideal
societies of sustainable development.
My determination in endorsing the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development lays on my
deep convictions and personal experiences.
My country’s actions are set in a secular tradition of world openness and sharing with the
most vulnerable, particularly women and children.
Our commitments, in partnership with civil society, have always aimed to promote a
harmonious development in combatting the tyranny of poverty and restore the dignity of
those left behind as well as the ever more numerous victims of conflicts, extremism or
natural disasters.
Monaco has committed to adapt itself to the challenges of sustainable urban
development. We have opted for ecologically rational solutions, particularly in areas of
transportation and energetic efficiency, giving priority to quality of life and creation of
green urban spaces. We pledge to the objective of reducing green house gases emissions
by 50% by 2030 compared to 1990s levels.
Within fifteen years, three quarters of the world population will live in urban areas and
the majority of young people will be concentrated in developing countries. Monaco is
dedicated to pursue its efforts towards offering young people the opportunities they need
to succeed and thus ensure that they can fully contribute to our countries' growth.
I am delighted that the role of sport in promoting sustainable development has been duly
recognized within our Program of Action, as you all know of my attachment to the values
of sport and those of Olympism.
Sport for development and peace is today indivisible from progress in all countries. It
unites and reunites, prevents and educates. It teaches the respect and tolerance of others,
while inviting one’s self to excel.
These qualities can only incite individuals and populations to transcend themselves to
“transform our world.”
In this global partnership, I will remain personally involved in promoting healthy and
productive oceans; as oceans act as climate regulators and ecosystem services providers.
Hindering the discovery of the unexplored ocean’s treasure would deny the unexploited
human’s potential.
Like a sailing crew facing oceanic immensity, the capacity to reach the goals we have set
for ourselves will be measured against the progress of the weakest of us.
Let us have the courage and give ourselves the means to not disappoint those who still
see the ocean as a sea of hope.
This is the key to our survival but even more so it is our responsibility to build a more
balanced world.
As Charles Baudelaire once wrote: “Free man, you will always cherish the sea. The sea is
your mirror; you contemplate your soul.”
I thank you.
At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015
New York, 26 September 2015
(Unofficial Translation)
Mr. Co-Presidents,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
Encouraged by the remarkable progress achieved by the Millennium Development Goals,
but alarmed by the scale of the new challenges that rise ahead including the threat of
climate change, we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations by adopting its
most holistic and transformative program.
We bear the ambition to develop a new ethics of responsibility and solidarity to unite us
for the next fifteen years.
In establishing the sustainable development goals, we have restored the connection that
brings us back to our origins, our cultures and our humanity. Children of one Earth and
one Ocean where life first originated, we embrace once again our common destiny.
The future of mankind cannot be conceived without the Planet's capacity to sustain it.
This inescapable evidence brings us back to basics and reminds us of the precious value
of natural resources and biodiversity that are necessary for our lives and that we have
however jeopardized.
We recognize the urgency to correct our excesses, which exacerbated the depletion of the
Planet while coping with the demands of an ever-growing world population. In the past
century and a half, we have neglected the Earth and the Ocean fertile and life saving,
indispensable to sustainable prosperity.
Empowered by our experiences and lessons learnt, let us resist the urge to give in into the
present, so that the twenty first century be the century of education, social justice, respect
for the rule of law and human rights, cornerstones of Peace. Let us evolve towards ideal
societies of sustainable development.
My determination in endorsing the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development lays on my
deep convictions and personal experiences.
My country’s actions are set in a secular tradition of world openness and sharing with the
most vulnerable, particularly women and children.
Our commitments, in partnership with civil society, have always aimed to promote a
harmonious development in combatting the tyranny of poverty and restore the dignity of
those left behind as well as the ever more numerous victims of conflicts, extremism or
natural disasters.
Monaco has committed to adapt itself to the challenges of sustainable urban
development. We have opted for ecologically rational solutions, particularly in areas of
transportation and energetic efficiency, giving priority to quality of life and creation of
green urban spaces. We pledge to the objective of reducing green house gases emissions
by 50% by 2030 compared to 1990s levels.
Within fifteen years, three quarters of the world population will live in urban areas and
the majority of young people will be concentrated in developing countries. Monaco is
dedicated to pursue its efforts towards offering young people the opportunities they need
to succeed and thus ensure that they can fully contribute to our countries' growth.
I am delighted that the role of sport in promoting sustainable development has been duly
recognized within our Program of Action, as you all know of my attachment to the values
of sport and those of Olympism.
Sport for development and peace is today indivisible from progress in all countries. It
unites and reunites, prevents and educates. It teaches the respect and tolerance of others,
while inviting one’s self to excel.
These qualities can only incite individuals and populations to transcend themselves to
“transform our world.”
In this global partnership, I will remain personally involved in promoting healthy and
productive oceans; as oceans act as climate regulators and ecosystem services providers.
Hindering the discovery of the unexplored ocean’s treasure would deny the unexploited
human’s potential.
Like a sailing crew facing oceanic immensity, the capacity to reach the goals we have set
for ourselves will be measured against the progress of the weakest of us.
Let us have the courage and give ourselves the means to not disappoint those who still
see the ocean as a sea of hope.
This is the key to our survival but even more so it is our responsibility to build a more
balanced world.
As Charles Baudelaire once wrote: “Free man, you will always cherish the sea. The sea is
your mirror; you contemplate your soul.”
I thank you.
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