Activities of Secretary-General in Monaco, 3-4 April

At around midday on Wednesday, 3 April, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Monaco after a flight from Barcelona to Nice and a short journey by road from there to the principality.

The Secretary-General met with Prince Albert II at the Palais de Monaco, during which they discussed developments in Syria and Mali.  They also discussed sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals.

He then received an award, on behalf of the United Nations, from the Prince.

Later, the Secretary-General visited the Oceanographic Museum, where he delivered an address to the Constitutional Bodies of Monaco.

In his remarks, he focused on sustainable development and the environment, and on the importance of green growth, and he praised Monaco’s commitment in this regard, as well as in other areas such as human rights and women's empowerment.  He said: “We cannot end extreme poverty, hunger and needless disease unless we address the broader challenges of sustainable development — social, economic and environmental.”  (See Press Release SG/SM/14920)

The Secretary-General also visited the aquarium at the museum and later attended a dinner hosted by the Prince and his wife, Princess Charlene.

On the morning of 4 April, the Secretary-General held talks with Prime Minister Michel Roger — the Minister of State and Chief of Government — and Foreign Minister José Badia.

At a news conference with the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General said he had asked Prince Albert to help to raise political will among the leaders towards defining sustainable development goals and reaching a globally binding agreement on climate change by the end of 2015.  He said he was also grateful for Monaco’s support for United Nations humanitarian efforts, particularly in Haiti, Syria and Mali.

At that press conference, the Secretary-General said that he was deeply concerned and troubled by the rising tension on the Korean peninsula.  He called on all the parties concerned to play a very important role to calm down the situation.  He expressed his hope that the recent measure to restrict the movement of personnel and goods in and out of the Kaesong industrial complex in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will be lifted as soon as possible.

He later visited the Grimaldi Forum Congress Centre and the Environmental Laboratories of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In the early afternoon of Thursday, 4 April, the Secretary-General left Monaco by road for Nice, from where he flew to Madrid, arriving that afternoon.