SPRING

Special U.S. Screenings of the Much-Anticipated Film Océans


Following its world premiere at the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s Award Gala in the Principality in October 2009, Monaco continues to support the much-anticipated film, Océans, directed by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, with special screenings planned for New York, Chicago and other U.S. cities in April 2010…

A true technological and scientific adventure, Océans is the breathtaking result of three years of filming under the deep seas around the globe. The film is not only a moving account of the wonders of nature but also an alarming report on the dangers that threaten it.

The film opens in the United States on Earth Day, April 22, 2010.
www.oceans-lefilm.com

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December 1, 2009

Attendees included AOL’s Steve Case, MicroStrategy’s CEO Michael Saylor, Susan Eisenhower, President Eisenhower Group and granddaughter of the former president, John Fahey, President & CEO of National Geographic Society, ambassadors from Denmark, Monaco, Morocco and Portugal, and the board of the Foundation’s U.S. chapter including John B. Kelly, president and Maguy Maccario, vice president and Monaco’s consul general and minister counselor, whose New York office underwrote the dinner.

Guests dined overlooking the Potomac River at Kimsey’s property in McLean while dessert was served in the adjacent Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Marden House.

Harvard’s Professor Edward O. Wilson, recipient of the 2009 Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award for biodiversity, was also present to belatedly receive his trophy from the hands of H.S.H. Prince Albert (Prof Wilson was unable to attend the awards ceremony in October in Monaco.) During his acceptance he said, “The 21st century, I believe, is going to be known as the Century of the Environment, and in science as the Century of Biology. This is the time that we will either settle down as a species or completely wreck the planet.”

While in Washington DC, H.S.H. Prince Albert also attended the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Antartic Treaty and gave an address at the opening ceremony of the Antartic Treaty Summit at the Smithsonian Institution. The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution later signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

The visit also included an address at the National Press Club, 96 after his great-great-grand father Prince Albert I; the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Pew Environment Group; a visit to the National Geographic Society; and a reception at the residence of Monaco’s Ambassador organized by BirdLife International.

www.pa2f.org

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December 2009

A very special guest to the pre-dinner reception was His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco who was in the United States in his capacity as President of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation for the environment.

An initiative of the Monaco Government Tourist Office in New York and co-hosted by SBM Monte-Carlo, the reception and dinner for clients, media and guests, was held at the elegant Harold Pratt House on Park Avenue.

For this, his first visit to New York, Chef Marcel Ravin, who is originally from the Antilles isle of Martinique, created an imaginative, appetizing menu using some of his signature combinations (menu listed below). As the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort’s Executive Chef since its opening in 2005, he constantly delights diners with his original and inventive cuisine using the freshest of local seasonal produce from the land and the sea at the acclaimed Blue Bay Restaurant.

During his trip, he was introduced to some of New York’s most respected and influential executive chefs including Chef Eric Ripert (www.le-bernardin.com), Chef Shaun Hergatt (www.shoshaunhergatt.com) and Chefs Daniel Boulud and Cedric Tovar (http://www.danielnyc.comand www.feastandfetes.com) and spent time touring the restaurants and kitchens of these acclaimed establishments.

Chef Ravin was accompanied to New York by his sous and pastry chef Philippe Brito, who is originally from Cannes. Their maiden voyage to New York was documented by a film crew from the NY-based TV program Canapé, a joint production of CUNY (Channel 75) and the French Cultural Service. The program airs on December 24 and 31 at 10:30AM, 4:30PM and 10:30PM, then again on December 26 and January 2 at 2:00PM.

“Chef Ravin is one of the brightest stars in Monaco’s gastronomic galaxy and we are honored to have him in New York to share his inspired culinary secrets and passion for food with us,“ said Maguy Maccario, Consul General and Director of the Monaco Government Tourist Office. “The collaboration between Chef Ravin and Chef Boulud underscores the continuation of close (culinary and other) ties between our two nations despite recent difficulties and challenges we have all faced.”

Mr. Bernard Lambert, CEO and General Manager of Monte-Carlo SBM also addressed the gathering with the latest news of renovations, openings and investments in Monaco’s luxury hospitality industry.

Chef Ravin’s Monégasque-inspired Winter Menu

Appetizer:
Veloutine de Courge et Saint-Jacques du Maine
en Vinaigrette d’Huile de Vanille

Main Course:
Bar de ligne confit aux Aromates, Artichauts & Tomates,
Condiments Savora aux olives

and

Volaille Fermière cuisinée comme une Royale
Frivolité de Légumes d’ Automne, Onctuosité de kumquat

Dessert:
Adaptation d’un concentré de Fruits Exotiques Chocolat Passion

* * *

Under the umbrella of Monte-Carlo SBM are some of Monaco’s best known and most cherished eateries, and from now through September 2011, there is much news to trumpet including:

• The May 2009 launch at the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel of Elsa, featuring contemporary, seasonal seafood with a modern twist on traditional dishes served on the Riviera during the1920’s and 1930’s. It will compliment this hotel’s three other restaurants which offer guests a range of fashionable fare; Le Deck, the Sea Lounge and La Vigie.
• At the Hotel Hermitage, Le Vistamar (a former Michelin–starred eatery under the culinary baton of Chef Joël Garault) is closed for a significant renovation and refurbishment and set to re-open in May 2010 with accompanying bar, Le Scorpion. Before the grand re-opening, Le Vistamar will operate from the Hotel Hermitage’s private Excelsior room and is open Wednesdays through Sundays (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).
• Buddha Bar Monte-Carlo will replace the former Cabaret at the Casino de Monte-Carlo. This Asian-inspired restaurant will open in May 2010, accompanied by a dramatic yet relaxing lounge.
• Café de Paris: This popular restaurant will undergo extensive refurbishment and its outdoor terrace will be equipped with roofing to allow guests to dine al fresco in any weather.
• One of the chicest restaurants on Monaco’s culinary map is Bar & Boeuf – Alain Ducasse, the award-winning chef’s second restaurant in Monaco. Opened seasonally at the Sporting Monte-Carlo, from May to September, it features terrace seating overlooking the lush gardens and the azure sea.
• Bar & Boeuf is a striking counterpoint to Ducasse’s acclaimed Le Louis XV. This three-Michelin-starred restaurant, located in Monte-Carlo’s Hôtel de Paris, features a world-famous and legendary wine cellar (containing more than 600,000 bottles including many rare and valuable vintages from around the world) and a dining room reminiscent of 17th century Versailles.
• Also located in the Hôtel de Paris is Le Grill. Under the direction of Jean-Philippe Borro (sous chef) and managed by Franck Cerutti, Executive Chef of the Hôtel de Paris, this elegant one-Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant, is considered a “monument” to Monégasque gastronomy, Le Grill features open-air dining with panoramic views of the Mediterranean.

For all the above restaurants within the purview of Monte-Carlo SBM, please visit www.montecarloresort.com

Travelers to Monaco can find excellent vacation value by bidding on exclusive packages at MonacoAuction.com, the premier online travel auction marketplace dedicated to luxury travel within the Principality.

For more information, please contact the Monaco Government Tourist Office (MGTO) at 565 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017; phone (800) 753-9696 or (212) 286-3330; or via e-mail at info@VisitMonaco.com. Information and links are available via the Monaco Government Tourist Office web site at VisitMonaco.com. Follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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Beverly Hills, October 22, 2009

The on-going award, inaugurated in 2003, honors style legends for their contributions to the worlds of fashion and entertainment. Debra Messing presented the Award to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, who accepted it on behalf of the Princely family, and Demi Moore presented the Award to Pierre Rainero, Image, Style & Heritage Director, Cartier International.

The event raised over $150,000 for the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

“Princess Grace and the House of Cartier have been key style influencers here on Rodeo Drive and across the globe. We are thrilled to honor both recipients with the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style® Award,” says Wanda McDaniel, Chairman of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style® Selections Committee. “The longstanding relationship between the Monaco Princely family and the esteemed French jeweler made it a natural decision to recognize them jointly.”

“Beginning with the late Princess Grace, whose unique roles of movie star and royalty embodied glamour and elegance like no other icon, and continuing with the renowned jeweler Cartier, whose creations have been worn by celebrities, dignitaries and socialites across the world, both honorees effortlessly unite the worlds of fashion and entertainment,” says Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne. “The City of Beverly Hills is pleased to have the privilege of recognizing Princess Grace and Cartier with permanent plaques on Rodeo Drive.”

Created by the late sculptor Robert Graham and standing 14-feet tall at the intersection of Rodeo Drive and Dayton Way, “Torso” serves as the symbol for the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style®. The Walk of Style® Award, also designed by Mr. Graham, is a maquette of “Torso”.

As the fourteenth and fifteenth recipient of this award, Princess Grace and Cartier follow previous honorees Valentino Garavani (2009), Manolo Blahnik (2008), James Galanos (2007), Gianni and Donatella Versace (2007), Salvatore Ferragamo, Edith Head, James Acheson and Milena Canonero (2006), Herb Ritts and Mario Testino (2005), Tom Ford (2004), and Giorgio Armani (2003). Honorees are selected by an independent committee comprised of media, celebrities, past honorees and academics in the worlds of fashion and entertainment (http://www.rodeodrive-bh.com/WOS/WOS_about.html).

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Los Angeles – October 23, 2009 – Some of Hollywood’s hottest names gathered in Beverly Hills last night to salute Prince Albert II of Monaco – the only son of Academy Award winner Grace Kelly – and learn about his personal environmental crusade and how his foundation is helping to combat climate change, the loss of biodiversity and provide access to water.

Among the VIPs from the entertainment and corporate worlds eager to lend their support to the principality’s sovereign were The Edge; Michael York; Chris Noth; Lionel Richie; film director Ron Shelton and his wife, actress Lolita Davidovich; Law & Order creator and Monaco’s honorary consul in LA, Dick Wolf; and singer Julian Lennon.

Representing the Foundation’s U.S. chapter were its President John B. Kelly (a cousin of Prince Albert) and Hon. Maguy Maccario, Vice President and Consul General. The private dinner was held at The Beverly House (built in the 1920s by William Randolph Hearst) and now home to businessman Leonard Ross.

“Monaco has a long legacy of environmental stewardship instigated by my great-great grandfather, Albert I, more than a century ago, and also by my father. Their conservation initiatives over the years inspired me to set up a foundation devoted to environmental issues,” said Prince Albert. “Today this Foundation which bears my name has chapters around the world. In just three years we’ve invested some $23 million in 127 projects mainly in the Polar Regions, the Mediterranean Basin and in the world’s least developed nations, focusing on the areas of immediate concern: climate change, loss of biodiversity and providing access to water. We support sustainable local and global initiatives which can make everyone of us a player in the protection and conservation of our natural resources. I know that all of us gathered here tonight are similarly concerned with the damage we are doing to our fragile planet and wish to help in some worthwhile way. While most may not be in a position to trek to the North or South Pole, or sign the Kyoto Treaty or travel to Copenhagen in December to offer support, when people ask me, what can I do? How can I help? I would say to them, what my mother once said to me: “trust your instincts”… Help where you can, give what you can whether it is money, time, resources, your name, your celebrity or an inspirational act, deed, song or word. We have to move away from a society that is obsessed with consumption and consumerism, so perhaps we need to reexamine our lifestyles and consider how our actions and daily life are affecting our world,” he said.

Prince Albert will travel to the University of San Diego today to receive the prestigious Roger Revelle Prize from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography for his environmental initiatives.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation was established in 2006 by HSH Prince Albert to continue the Principality of Monaco’s legacy of environmental stewardship and its commitment to conserve and preserve the world’s natural environment and resources, by supporting sustainable and ethical projects especially in the Mediterranean Basin, the Polar regions and the world’s least developed countries. Its focus is on three main challenges: climate change and developing renewable energies; combating the loss of biodiversity; and water management and fighting desertification. In just three years, the Foundation has extended its international outreach by opening chapters in Europe (France, Switzerland, the UK, Italy and Germany), in Canada and, in 2008, the United States of America. Since its inception, 127 projects have benefited from Foundation grants totaling more than $23 million. For more information, please visit www.pa2f.org.

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October 10, 2009

Professor Wilson was honored for his lifelong contribution to protecting the world’s biodiversity. During his acceptance of the award which consists of a specially designed trophy and 40,000 euros, he said we have only just begun to explore Earth’s biodiversity. “The 21st century, I believe, is going to be known as the Century of the Environment, and in science as the Century of Biology. This is the time that we will either settle down as a species or completely wreck the planet.”

“There has been proportionately much less attention on the living environment, and especially the diversity of life, biodiversity, defined as the totality of ecosystems, the species that compose them, and the genes that prescribe the traits of the species that compose each of the ecosystems in turn,” he said.

“That great resource has taken billions of years to evolve. Our lives depend on it, because we are first and above all things a biological species living in a biological world. Our best estimates are that about 1.8 million species are now known to science. But the search for unknown species has just begun. When all of the small invertebrates of the sea and land are fully explored the number could easily exceed 20 million species. The truth is that we live on a little known planet.”

A two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction, Wilson is world-renowned for his career as a scientist and advocacy for environmentalism. He is Pellegrino University Research Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator in Entomology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and is a Humanist Laureate of the International Academy of Humanism.

His most ambitious – and current – undertaking, which he both conceived and named, is the “Encyclopedia of Life” (www.eol.org), a web-based program indexing every species known to man.

“The project, recently launched by a consortium including the Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University, The Field Museum of Chicago, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility in Copenhagen, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, is an electronic encyclopedia that will have an indefinitely expandable page for each and every species of animal, plant and microorganism,“ said Professor Wilson.

“Each species will be illustrated with multiple views or parts of the genome of the type specimen or other authenticated specimen, and a diagnosis; and into the page will go everything known about the species, with new information added as it is acquired. The Encyclopedia of Life is now underway with up to $50 million pledged by the MacArthur and Sloan Foundations,” he said.

Marina Silva of Brazil was presented with the Foundation’s award for her work in support of the Brazilian rainforests. Ms Silva is a Brazilian environmentalist and politician, who served as a senator before becoming an environmental minister in 2003. She led demonstrations with Chico Mendes to warn against deforestation and the removal of forest communities from traditional locations. As a native Amazonian and a senator, she built support for the environmental protection of the reserves as well as for social justice and sustainable development in the region. During her time as Senator, deforestation decreased by 59% from 2004 to 2007.

Pan Yue of China was honored for his contribution to water conservation. With a strong background in journalism and government administration, he is currently Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection. He has tackled some of China’s biggest industries over pollution, forcing them to clean up and believes that access to clean water is the most urgent environmental problem because it is the bloodline for industrialization, urbanization and survival. In 2008 the Foundation’s award recipients were Arctic explorer Alain Hubert, primatologist and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall and Indian environmentalist and political activist Sunita Narain.

The awards ceremony, attended by 1500 guests, was preceded by the world premiere of the much-anticipated film, OCEANS, from Academy Award-nominated producer Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud. A true technological and scientific adventure, OCEANS from DisneyNature is the breathtaking result of three years of filming under the deep seas around the globe. The film is not only a moving account of the wonders of nature but also an alarming report on the dangers that threaten it. The film will première in the United States on Earth Day, April 22, 2010.

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My participation alongside more than one hundred Heads of State and Government in this General Debate both corroborates the seriousness of the choices that we have to take responsibility for, to confront the challenges our States must face, and the incontrovertible position of the United Nations to decide upon the future of our planet and its inhabitants.

More than ever, the General Assembly must be the centre where our nations are striving towards a common goal as defined in the Article 1 of the Charter.

To remain this vital center, the Organization and its most representative body of the community of nations, our General Assembly, must better take into consideration the interdependency which ties our destinies as well as the opportunity that presents itself to our sovereign States to bestow on our fellow countrymen towards a common vision marked with moral value.

Mr. President,

The financial storm that swept away the world a year ago has spawned too much suffering and caused great harm to the global economy at a time in our history where we are confronted to the major challenges of the climate crisis and the implementation of the Millenium Development Goals, for us not to draw obvious conclusions.

A year from now, we will meet again in this same forum to take stock of the progress we have accomplished in the implementation of the Millenium Development Goals.

The 2015 deadline, which seemed already compromised on the eve of this multidimensional crisis, requires that we plan out a global vision for the future of humanity. Some will call it solidarity or moral awareness. In any event, we need to clearly define and implement the MDGs to fulfill the vital needs of all human beings.

If poverty eradication remains our priority, we must fulfill our obligations. As the most destitute, are also the ones who are hungry, who suffer from malnutrition and do not have access to water nor to basic social and health services. Among the main victims are women and children, 25 000 of whom die each day according to UNICEF.

Several hundred thousands of people are benefiting today from actions undertaken by my country in the framework of its international cooperation in the fields of health, education and the fight against poverty. This is the reason why I asked that we pursue our effort to contribute 0.7% of our GDP by 2015 towards official development assistance. This assistance cannot be sacrificed due to the present economic and financial situation. It must, on the contrary, be strengthened at a time when the most vulnerable are the ones who need it the most.

This official development assistance must come with long term investments aimed at strengthening capacity building of developing countries, in particular through appropriate technology transfers respectful of the requirements brought on by sustainable development.

In this perspective and in the light of the recent food crisis, it is the right time to give agriculture back its rightful place because food security depends on it. Today, it is up to us to forge for our future generations a new destiny, a new deal. From donors, we must become partners of a green revolution in Africa where food producing agriculture adapted to specific conditions of the continent must empower the local populations.

The restoration of agriculture at the heart of our civilization raises also the crucial issue of water. Whether it pertains to its access for the survival of our populations, farming or energy production, it is imperative to guaranty water security.

Therefore, an integrated management of water resources is mandatory. We must be aware of disasters and potential conflicts that would arise if we failed to do so and of risks linked to poor sanitation conditions susceptible to cause outbreaks of infectious diseases and pandemics.

Mr. President,

Desertification, drought phenomena, human activities and even acidification of the oceans and the seas are exacerbated by climatic change brought on by man.

That is why a failure in the Copenhagen’s negotiation shouldn’t be an option. My commitment and that of my worldwide counterparts yesterday in the framework of the Summit on climate change convened by the Secretary General, is unequivocal: we must, together, developed countries, countries with high CO2 emissions, developing countries, succeed in defining a post-Kyoto agenda strictly in line with a low carbon emission future.

For too long, we have neglected the scientific warnings. More than 20 years ago, the IPCC was created by the World Meteorological Organization.

During the Third World Climate Conference which I attended at the beginning of the month of September, it was decided to establish a Global Framework for Climate Services, with a view to help populations hold up to this more and more pressing challenge.

This Global Framework which we fully support, aims at enabling better management of the risks of climate variability as well as change and adaptation to climate change at all levels, through development and incorporation of science-based climate information and prediction into planning, policy and practice. The unparalleled mobilization of public opinion compels us to adopt innovating measures to slowdown the evolution of global warming that has serious implications and can take a catastrophic turn for the worse.

The Report on trade and development recommends deep structural modifications that won’t happen, without challenging our patterns of production and consumption. The set up of a green economy must be the basis of this process. Our role as political decision-maker is to insure that the already existing necessary technology aims at reducing greenhouse gas effects.

Sustainable development requires the globalization of green technologies and environmental goods. I reiterate on behalf of the Principality the declared ambition to become carbon neutral and our resolve to reduce our carbon emissions by 20 % by 2020 and by 60% by 2050.

Mr. President,

During the elapsed months, the world economy has been deeply challenged. If signs of recovery are beginning to show, we must however, draw conclusions from this somber year. The globalization of the economy and the interdependence that results from it, calls for a crucial reform of the international monetary and financial system.

Created ten years ago now, the G20 met for the first time at the level of Heads of State and Government, last November, acknowledging thereby the urgency of measures to be taken to spare the world economy from a catastrophe worsened by the panic in the financial markets.

Monaco acknowledges that this Group, which represents two thirds of the world trade and population and close to 90 % of the world gross product, holds special responsibility towards the rest of the international community.

We are confident on the capabilities of the G20 to lay out, as soon as tomorrow in Pittsburg, the basis for a new era encompassing in particular, financial regulation, traders’ income, governance and means allocated to international financial institutions. From the G20 ability to federate all States will emerge the necessary legitimacy to allow growth resumption.

My Government has been working for many months now to fulfill the obligations it subscribed to and to comply with the required norms of the OECD with a view to improve the transparency and information exchange in fiscal and banking matters. In this regard, my Government has already signed twelve bilateral conventions and has undertaken to conclude other agreements in this area. Today, Monaco was acknowledged for its efforts by the OECD and thus appears on its white list.

But let’s not be mistaken: the breach of trust spawned by the financial debacle has more than ever made it necessary that the measures taken by the G20 be non-discriminatory towards all Member States. A consultative body would thus ensure the legitimacy of any decisions made.

We must, altogether, rebuild the solid basis of a human-faced-capitalism that promotes growth and social development. The circumstances give us the opportunity to create a green economy which links job creation with the transfer of new technologies towards a sustainable recovery.

Mr. President,

The role of the State and the expression of its sovereignty must continuously adapt themselves to the new realities to remain the guarantor of security and social well-being of populations. Our Organization does not evade this evolution.

If since its origin, the United Nations works for the maintenance of peace and international security, thanks to the operations led under its flag, it also plays an eminent federative role in the area of disarmament and non proliferation.

Human and material means of peace-keeping operations have reached a threshold that would have not been conceivable only a decade ago. The necessary reflection initiated at the Security Council as well as the Secretariat and with the Member States is a priority and we support it.

Of utmost importance also, is the strengthening of the rule of law and of democratic institutions, guardians of our sovereignty and our peaceful coexistence between States.

In this regard, I wish to reiterate the support of my country towards the implementation of the responsibility to protect, symbol of the strengthening of multilateralism at the service of populations.

The responsibility to protect does not affect the exercise of responsible sovereignty which places the individual at the forefront. Monaco will keep on working with its partners, that is to say all and each of you, in order to implement best practices in the area of protection, international assistance and capacity-building with the common objective to save lives.

The Principality will keep on responding through solidarity to emergency humanitarian situations, in particular, for women and children whose vulnerability does not unfortunately need to be further proven in times of crisis.

Mr. President,

In 2010, we will celebrate the International Year of Reconciliation and the Year of Biodiversity. These themes symbolize, at the onset of the 21st century, the harmony that we must seek both between our people in the acceptance of our differences and between the human specie and the rest of the living species on Earth, that we have the duty to protect and save from extinction.

I can assure you that my country will commit itself relentlessly in favor of a process likely to build and strengthen the ties between our societies in view to promote dialogue as well as cultural and religious understanding based on mutual respect, such as in the Union for the Mediterranean and the Alliance of civilizations.

I am convinced, Mr. President, that your great experience of the United Nations and your role in the creation of the African Union, constitute a major asset for the success of your mission. I thank you.

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