Prince Albert II at the United Nations General Assembly: “Peace is our most precious asset” 

Prince Albert II addressed the United Nations General Assembly from the podium. 

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The Sovereign arrived in the United States on Sunday for a three-day visit to New York to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Bringing together the 193 member states of the United Nations, the theme of this year’s annual event is “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations”.

Partnership signing, conference and meeting 

Prince Albert II used his first day to meet officials from The Foundation for Post Conflict Development at Monaco’s Permanent Mission to the UN. This was followed by the presentation of the Prince Albert of Monaco Leadership in Post Conflict Development Award to Léa Chaki. 

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The Prince was also present at the signing of a partnership between the FPA2, his foundation, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the presence of Thomas Bach, the IOC President. After a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Latvia, he travelled to the Explorers Club in New York, where he attended a conference on the future of the polar regions, the impact of global warming in the Arctic and the consequences for indigenous peoples.

Fighting for peace 

On the same day, Prince Albert II also spoke at the “Multilateral Solutions for a Better Future” summit at the United Nations headquarters. Committed to achieving peace through tangible measures across the world, he was keen to point out that this concept  “is our most precious asset. Without it, it is impossible to ensure access to the most fundamental human rights. Without it, we cannot undertake anything sustainable and effective for the good of our peoples. Restoring peace and security is therefore a collective and urgent responsibility”.

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“As we know, international tensions are exacerbated by the environmental crisis. Climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution of ecosystems on land and see are all aggravating factors that we have to face up to. Reconciling man and nature is an essential prerequisite for establishing a sustainable and peaceful society,” he said.

The unifying power of sport 

Another subject touched on by Albert of Monaco was sport. He described it as “a common language that brings peoples and cultures together and breaks down social barriers,” adding  “Rest assured that my country will continue to strive to ensure that sport’s contribution to peace and inclusive social development is recognised at its true value within the UN.”

Peace and Sport’s story told in a documentary

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The Sovereign’s closing remarks concerned the multidimensional crises that need to be addressed. In his view, they have a negative impact on sustainable development, whereas “we have the necessary legal, technological and scientific tools to provide sustainable and effective solutions to our current challenges.”

Prince Albert II was due to make another speech at the UN on Tuesday 24 September.