The Royal American Institute for the Study of Monaco & American Friends of Monaco Launch Website

The Royal American Institute for the Study of Monaco (aka: "The Monaco Institute") and American Friends of Monaco have a new website at: http://americanfriendsofmonaco.webs.com.

US counterparts to the Association Monaco-USA in Monaco established by Princess Grace, the two entities serve to promote a scholarly understanding and greater in-depth knowledge about Monegasque international and diplomatic affairs through Monegasque Studies in English both in the United States and abroad. The Monaco Institute and AFM complement information provided by the Embassy of Monaco in the USA's website and the Principality of Monaco's government website.

Upcoming Monegasque events include:

-The November 12th 80th Birthday of the late Princess Grace of Monaco

-The celebration of Monaco's National Day on November 19th

-Prince Albert II's keynote address on November 30, 2009 on the first day of the four-day Antarctica 50th Anniversary Treaty Summit in Washington DC extending from Monday, November 30 to Thursday, December 3, 2009. Prince Albert II conducted a month-long excursion to Antarctica in January of 2009 and Monaco is the 46th and newest sovereign nation to become a signatory to the Antarctica Treaty signed in 1959 in Washington, D.C. To register to attend the Antarctica Treaty's 50th Anniversary Summit see the Summit website at: www.atsummit50.aq

For special events to be held by the The Monaco Institute and American Friends of Monaco to honor Prince Albert II's Antarctica Treaty Summit keynote on November 30 watch the American Friends of Monaco webpage at http://americanfriendsofmonaco.webs.com.

Monaco Marks 5th Anniversary as a Member of the Council of Europe--President Costa of the COE's European Court of Human Rights Visits Monaco

On 1 October, the Council of Europe's European Court of Human Rights President, Jean-Paul Costa, visited Monaco, where he was received in audience by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. He was accompanied by Isabelle Berro-Lefevre, the sole judge on the European Court of Human Rights from the Principality of Monaco. During the visit they presented a lecture on the current challenges facing the ECHR and attended the traditional hearings and ceremonial marking the opening of the judicial year in Monaco. The 5th of October marked the fifth anniversary of the accession of Monaco to the Council of Europe on 5 October 2004.

Review their remarks in French at the ECHR website at: www.echr.coe.int/ECHR/EN/Header/The+Court/The+President/Events/The_President_Events.htm

To Review the Council of Europe Profile of Monaco see the Council of Europe website: www.coe.int/T/E/Com/About_Coe/Member_states/e_Monaco.asp

Pope Benedict XVI Meets with Prince Albert II of Monaco

(Photo from WireImage at: http://www.wireimage.com/gallerylisting.asp?navtyp=gls====398179&source=rss&nbc=1)

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 16, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Defending the right to life and the need for moral education were two key topics today at a meeting between Benedict XVI and Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Vatican reported.The Vatican press office reported after the audience that in the course of the discussions, "attention turned to themes of mutual interest including the importance of a solid cultural and moral formation of the young and the defense of life in all its phases."According to the note, the Holy Father and Albert II also touched on "certain aspects of the current international situation, such as the integral development of peoples and the protection of natural resources and the environment."

The prince also met with the Pope's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and the secretary for relations with states, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.

Albert II is patron of the 2nd International Congress on Responsible Stem Cell Research, which will be held next month in Monaco. The congress, organized by the World Federation of the Catholic Medical Associations, will take place Nov. 26-28. The Pontifical Academy for Life, the Bioethical Consultative Committee of Monaco, and the Foundation Jérôme Lejeune are co-organizers.The theme of the congress is "Adult Somatic Stem Cells: New Perspectives."The first congress took place in Rome in 2006, and gathered more than 400 participants to discuss cell therapy research from adult and cord blood stem cells.

Prince Albert II's visit to Rome coincided with the official opening Thursday, October 15, of the exposition "The Grace Kelly Years: Princess of Monaco."The exposition, featuring the prince's mother, opened for the public today, and will be in Rome through Feb. 28 at the Palazzo Ruspoli. Kelly was a Hollywood actress who retired from filmmaking at the age of 26 to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco. She died in 1982 at the age of 52.

© Innovative Media, Inc.
Reprinting ZENIT's articles requires written permission from the editor.

ZE09101610 - 2009-10-16Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-27234?l=english

(A ZENIT Report)

See Also:

Video on YouTube at: http://www.romereports.com/palio/modules.php?t=Pope-welcomes-Prince-Albert-of-Monaco&name=News&file=article&newlang=english&sid=1075

Still Images at Life.com Images at http://www.life.com/image/91934474

Prince Albert II of Monaco to Present Keynote Address for 2009 Antarctica Summit

Prince Albert II of Monaco to Present Keynote Address for 2009 Antarctica Summit: An International Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty

Prince Albert II, the sovereign head of state of the Principality of Monaco, who has made environmental and climate change diplomacy a key factor of his global leadership, executed a month-long visit to Antarctica in January of this year to critically examine the impact of global warming on the South Pole, and founded the Prince Albert II Foundation in 2006 to promote “ sustainable and equitable management of natural resources”=2 0and to encourage “the implementation of innovative and ethical solutions via research and studies, technological innovation and socially responsible investment tools with respect to climate change, biodiversity and water issues,” has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the “Antarctic Treaty Summit:Science-Policy Interactions in International Governance” (“Antarctica Summit 2009”).

The international Antarctica Summit 2009 will commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty by the twelve original signatories in 1959, inWashington, D.C. Antarctica Summit 2009 willbe convened at the Smithsonian Institution, and held at the National Museum of Natural History, from 30 November to 3 December, 2009 to, in accordance with the Smithsonian Institution’s website, “ highlight lessons learned about international governance "with the interests of science and the progress of all mankind." Prince Albert received the UN Environment Program’s (UNEP) prestigious Champion of the Earth Award in 2008, and on October 23, 2009, will receive the second Roger Revelle Prize from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, located at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), for his efforts to support and communicate the crucial need to protect the environment on a global scale.” Prince Albert II’s keynote address will be delivered the first day of the summit, Monday, November 30th, after opening ceremonies chaired by Professor Paul Berkman, Chair of the International Board for the Antarctic Treaty Summit, and in collaboration with the day’s events will explore the “origin, evolution and resilience of the Antarctic Treaty System that emerged from the success of the International Geophysical Year” under the theme of “Science as a Tool of Diplomacy in the Antarctic Treaty System.”

Since its signing on December 1, 1959 by the twelve original signatories and its entry into force on June 23, 1961, the Antarctic Treaty has provided an international political tool for the diplomatic management of ten percent of the Earth “for peaceful purposes” and to assist in the arbitration and adjudication of issues related to national claims of sovereignty. The Treaty is one of a number of international agreements which are often referred to as the “Antarctic Treaty System.” The other agreements comprising the “System” are, 1) The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Madrid, 1991), 2) the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (CCAS, London, 1972); and 3) the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR, Canberra, 1980). The latter two agreements, though independent, contain provisions committing their Parties to essential parts of the Antarctic Treaty.

According to the Treaty’s Preamble, “The main purpose of the Antarctic Treaty, … is to ensure "in the interest of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord." According to the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat’s website, the number of signatory nations to the Treaty has grown from the twelve original signatory nations of Argentina, Australia, Belg ium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Russia, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland and the United States to forty-seven. As of December 2007 the other thirty-four treaty signatories included, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Italy, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela. Monaco is the newest addition to the list of signatory nations. It became a signatory last year on 31 May 2008. The UK was the first sovereign state to ratify the Antarctic Treaty.

According to the Antarctic Treaty Summit website: “the Antarctic Treaty Summit: Science-Policy Interactions in International Governance will provide an unique international, interdisciplinary and inclusive forum for scientists, legislators, administrators, lawyers, historians, educators, executives, students and other members of civil society to openly:

Assess lessons learned from the Antarctic Treaty System during the past five decades that have legacy value for international governance in general;
Reveal precedents for cooperative planetary-scale governance from one our civilization’s international spaces (i.e., outer space, deep sea and Antarctica); andEstablish broad public awareness around the world about the visionary goals, strategies and achievements that have emerged20from the Antarctic Treaty “in the interest of all mankind.”

As observed by the eminent polar explorer and scientist, Prof. Laurence Gould, during the Antarctic Treaty ratifications hearings in the United States Senate on 14 June 1960:

“The Antarctic Treaty is indispensable to the world of science which knows no national or other political boundaries, but it is much more than that… it is a document unique in history which may take its place alongside the Magna Carta and other great symbols of man's quest for enlightenment and order.”

The host sponsors of the Antarctic Treaty Summit include the Smithsonian Institution, the the University of California Santa Barbara (Bren School of Environmental Science & Management) and the University of Cambridge (Scott Polar Research Institute) in the United Kingdom. The Summit agenda includes participation by the world’s top U.S. and international experts on Antarctica, including: Ambassador R. Tucker Scully, Former Director, Office of Ocean Affairs, Department of State, and Chair of the 32nd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, United States; Dr. Susan Solomon, Senior Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States and winner of the 2009 Volvo Environment Prize, one of the scientific world’s most respected environmental for mapping the mechanisms underlying the hole in the ozone layer, Professor Mahlon Kennicutt II, President, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), United States, Dr. Karl Erb, Director, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, United States, Mr. Jan Huber, Current Executive Secretary, Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, Argentina, Ambassador Jorge Berguño, Council for Antarctic Policy, M inistry of Foreign Affairs, Chile; and Dr. Maj DePoorter, Chair, Antarctic Advisory Committee, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), New Zealand

The Summit will also include a banquet dinner and the presentation of the 2009 Martha Muse Prize for Antarctic Policy and Research by Ms. Renate Rennie, Chairman and President, Tinker Foundation. For more information about the Antarctic Treaty Summit 2009 see the Summit’s website at http://www.atsummit50.aq/ which also includes a section dedicated to the background, history and text of the Antarctic Treaty.


Other websites of interest on the Antarctica Treaty and Antarctica include:
Antarctica Treaty Secretariat
(http://www.ats.aq/)
UNEP/Antarctica (http://www.unep.org/dewa/assessments/EcoSystems/Polar/Antarctica/
British Antarctic Survey
(http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/)
The Antarctican Society (http://www.antarctican.org/), U.S.A.

Prince Albert to Receive Revelle Prize for Environmental Diplomacy October 23, 2009

Scripps to Honor Prince Albert II of Monaco for his Environmental Efforts--
Prince Albert II of Monaco to receive the Roger Revelle Prize at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego in October 2009

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego will present the Roger Revelle Prize at Scripps to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco for his efforts to advance and communicate protection of the environment on a global scale. Prince Albert will officially accept the award at Scripps in October.The Roger Revelle Prize at Scripps, named for late, former Scripps Director and UC San Diego founder Roger Revelle, recognizes leaders in the public or private sectors whose outstanding contributions advance or promote research in ocean, climate and earth sciences. These international leaders, such as Revelle, ask the big questions, recognize the interrelationships of global systems and think on a planetary scale. Their pioneering work and courage in pursuing scientific questions of critical importance to our world evoke Revelle's leadership and vision.

H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and Scripps Director Tony Haymet. Prince Albert's award is the second Roger Revelle Prize at Scripps. The inaugural prize was presented on March 6 to former Vice President Al Gore in conjunction with the Roger Revelle 100th Birthday Celebration. In a videotaped message presented at Gore's award ceremony, Prince Albert highlighted his upcoming visit to La Jolla to receive the Revelle Prize and to celebrate a developing partnership between Monaco and Scripps on ocean acidification. Prince Albert will receive the Revelle Prize in October at a special reception and dinner hosted by Scripps in his honor. The events are likely to take place at the Scripps campus' new Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society, and the Environment (Scripps Seaside Forum). Proceeds from the Revelle Prize events support the Roger Revelle Leadership Fund at Scripps to help recruit and retain the most outstanding students, faculty and researchers to the institution - an objective that was always paramount to Revelle when he was Scripps director. Al Gore's visit in March generated more than $150,000 from guests and Scripps supporters to establish this fund in Revelle's name.

LIMITED SEATS/SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE
Celebrating the Roger Revelle Prize
Friday, October 23, 2009
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego will award the second Roger Revelle Prize to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco for his efforts to support and communicate the crucial need to protect the environment on a global scale.
In accepting the prize, Prince Albert will present a lecture touching on some of the latest developments in the science of climate change and related impacts. In the evening, Scripps will host a special reception and dinner gala in Prince Albert’s honor.
The Roger Revelle Prize is named for the UC San Diego founder and former Scripps director who was a world-renowned scientist and is considered one of the true pioneers of climate change research.

The Events (tentative schedule)
5 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 p.m.)
Prince Albert will present a lecture to event attendees and other guests touching on some of the latest developments in the science of climate change and related impacts. 6 p.m.Roger Revelle Prize reception and dinner gala where Prince Albert will accept the second Roger Revelle Prize. See dinner underwriting opportunities below for ticket and table pricing.Location: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San DiegoLa Jolla, California

Monegasque Cultural Diplomacy 2009: Grace Kelly Years Exhibit--From Monaco to Rome

"The Grace Kelly Years" … From Monaco to Rome

(October 16, 2009 - February 28, 2010)

The next stop for the exposition entitled "The Grace Kelly Years, Princess of Monaco" will be Rome, between October 16th 2009 and February 28th 2010.

After its enormous initial success at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco during the summer of 2007 (135,000 visitors), and having followed a course leading through the Hôtel de Ville in Paris (75,000 visitors in the summer of 2008) and the Ekaterina Foundation in Moscow (65,000 visitors between October and December of 2008), the "Grace Kelly Years, Princess of Monaco" exposition will make its next stop in Rome.

This outstanding exposition featuring Monaco's iconic Princess will take up quarters in the Palazzo Ruspoli from October 16th 2009 to February 28th 2010. This prestigious venue in the heart of the Eternal City operates under the auspices of the Memmo Foundation.

The exposition will occupy several floors, giving visitors ample opportunity to relive the years during which an exceptional woman reached myth status while living out her extraordinary destiny, that of a Hollywood actress become Princess of Monaco.

This homage was conceived and organized by Frédéric Mitterand, recently named France's Minister of Culture and Communication. It includes pictures by some of the world's foremost photographers (Howell Conant, Cecil Beaton, Irving Penn…), Grace Kelly's correspondence with famous figures of her time (Jackie Kennedy, la Callas, Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant…), numerous personal belongings, her wardrobe and jewels as well as other fashion accessories such as the famous Kelly bag designed by the Hermès firm.

Motion picture clips edited by Nathalie Crinière form a major part of the exposition. They include excerpts from Grace Kelly's most famous films as well as amateur film strips shot by the Princess herself that offer a close look at the Grimaldi family's personal life.

The official inauguration of the exposition will be held on October 15th at 6 P.M., in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II. A press conference followed by a visit to the exposition is scheduled on October 14th at noon.

9/2/2009

As Extracted From the Visit Monaco Website:http://news.visitmonaco.com

3rd Geneva Lecture--Prince Albert II Foundation Official Sponsor of UN Geneva Lecture Series

UN GENEVA TO HOST 3RD GENEVA LECTURE ON 5 OCTOBER 2009: GUEST SPEAKER IS FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE SOVIET UNION, MIKHAIL GORBACHEV--THE PRINCE ALBERT II FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED BY H.S.H. PRINCE ALBERT II IS AN OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE UN GENEVA LECTURE SERIES

The United Nations Office at Geneva is the sponsor of the annual Geneva Lecture Series. One of the objectives pursued by the Geneva Lecture Series initiative is to raise public awareness on global challenges. In addition to the opportunity to listen to and to engage in a debate with prominent speakers during the lecture, the initiative provides the interested audience with the occasion to access key background documents with respect to the Lecture topic.

Experts from Geneva with different professional backgrounds ranging from academic researchers to UN officials and civil society practitioners are invited by the Geneva Lecture Series team to share background references and papers on this occasion. A selected list of recommended readings is made available for each lecture. Please note that the opinions expressed in those documents are solely of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research neither of the organizers or sponsors of the Geneva Lecture Series. The purpose of the selection is to introduce the interested persons to a variety of existing intellectual positions and an academic debate on the topic of each lecture.

The UN Geneva's inaugural lecture was held on 29 April 2008, followed by the second lecture on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights on Human Rights Day, 10 December 2008, titled, "Are Human Rights Universal?" The final remarks of the second lecture in December 2008 (see unofficial text of remarks below) were made by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, which Foundation is an official sponsor of the Geneva Lecture Series. His Highness reiterated the main statement of the speakers by calling for “new forms of solidarity” in the age of globalization and a “scrupulous and universal insistence on human rights” in all countries around the world.

THIRD LECTURE: The third lecture will be delivered by Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, Former President of the Soviet Union and Founding President of Green Cross International, on the topic “Resetting the Nuclear Disarmament Agenda”, will take place on 5 October 2009 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

United Nations Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon will deliver an introductory statement, to be followed by Mr. Gorbachev. After the lecture, the public will be invited to participate in a debate moderated by a well-known journalist. Simultaneous interpretation in English and French will be available for the duration of the whole event.

Information extracted from the UN Geneva Website. See: http://www.unitar.org/gls/home

— check against delivery —
Remarks by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco
on the occasion of the second edition of the Geneva Lecture Series
Geneva, 10 December 2008Monsieur le Directeur Général

Monsieur le Secrétaire général adjoint,
Chère Shirin Ebadi,
Cher Wole Soyinka,
Excellence
Mesdames et Messieurs,

Les interventions que nous venons d’entendre et le débat ont posé les
questions essentielles. Et il est évidemment difficile, en quelques minutes, de
parler d’un sujet aussi vaste.
Mais, puisque j’ai le privilège de proposer une conclusion à ces échanges
passionnants, je voudrais faire quelques remarques.
…/…
Ce soixantième anniversaire est, à l’échelle planétaire, un temps de doute
pour les droits de l’Homme. Après l’euphorie des années 1990, ces dernières
années ont vu surgir un nouveau débat, un nouvel ennemi : le relativisme.
Dans toutes les enceintes, y compris celle de l’ONU, fleurissent désormais
des conceptions culturelles, religieuses ou ethniques des droits de l’Homme, qui
vont à l’encontre de leur universalité.
Cette universalité n’est pourtant pas une qualité parmi d’autres des droits
de l’Homme ; c’est leur principe même.
…/…
Prétendre que les droits de l’Homme ne seraient pas universels, c’est en
effet nier ce qui fait leur grandeur, cet idéal éternellement inachevé : « tous les
êtres humains naissent libres et égaux en dignité et en droits. »
Mais c’est aussi insinuer que la barbarie, le viol, la torture ou la tyrannie
seraient plus supportables sous certaines latitudes. C’est renoncer à l’unité du
genre humain.
Comment l’accepterions-nous ?
Nous sommes nous-mêmes, je l’ai dit, dans une période de doute.
Personne n’est irréprochable et nos propres manquements, passés ou présents,
sont exploités par les tenants du relativisme et de la confusion morale.
…/…
Not an official record 2
Ces doutes, Mesdames et Messieurs, ne doivent pas nous arrêter. Au
contraire.
C’est parce qu’il nous revient de faire la preuve des droits de l’Homme que
notre responsabilité est plus grande que jamais.
Car notre monde de doute est aussi un monde de fraternités réinventées,
un monde où les cris des victimes se font entendre de plus en plus fort. D’un
pays, d’un continent à l’autre, des voix nous disent que les maux sont les
mêmes, comme sont identiques les dangers nés d’une gestion irresponsable de la
nature ou les malheurs causés par une économie oublieuse des hommes et des
femmes.
…/…
Il nous faut y répondre avec la même application, en sachant que toutes
ces menaces nous concernent. Quand les droits de l’Homme sont attaqués, c’est
l’humanité tout entière qui souffre. Quand nous laissons commettre des crimes
contre les droits de l’Homme, c’est notre propre avenir que nous fragilisons.
Mesdames et Messieurs,
Notre époque mondialisée appelle des solidarités nouvelles. La seule
manière de faire face aux risques de ce monde, c’est de ne chercher à distinguer
ni entre les victimes, ni entre les malheurs. C’est d’être mus par une même
exigence scrupuleuse et universelle au nom des droits de l’Homme, dans chacun
de nos pays.
…/…
C’est ainsi, soixante ans après la Déclaration de 1948, que nous
continuerons à faire la preuve concrète de l’universalité des droits de l’Homme.
Je vous remercie.