PRESS STATEMENT
President of UNGA visits Monaco
The President of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, made an official visit to the Principality of Monaco, from 19 to 21 November 2016.
The President was granted an audience with H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and had working meetings with H.E. Mr. Serge Telle, Minister of State and H.E. Mr. Gilles Tonelli, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Discussions focused on the Oceans Conference to be held at the United Nations in New York, 5-9 June 2017, and the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, including the need for the Sustainable Development Goals to be taught in schools throughout the world. The President thanked the Prince for his leadership role in promoting scientific research and attention to the health of the Ocean.
While in Monaco, the President visited the Environment Laboratories of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to discuss work being carried out by IAEA on the measurement of Ocean acidification. He also visited the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco to learn of the Institute’s Ocean activities.
The President attended briefings by representatives of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Scientific Center of Monaco (CSM) at their headquarters in Monaco to discuss implementation of SDG14, the Sustainable Development Goal for the Ocean, along with preparations for the 2017 Ocean Conference.
In thanking the Monaco-based organizations, President Thomson said, “I commend your efforts to promote scientific research and smart solutions for Ocean’s problems. Good data is essential for us to make the right decisions to reverse the cycle of decline in which the Ocean is currently caught”. He encouraged them to “actively engage in the preparations for the Ocean Conference, including on issues related to Ocean warming, deoxygenation and acidification, and their impacts on marine environment and biodiversity”.