Impetus
Numerous initiatives were organised under the Prince’s initiative, including: objecting to nuclear waste being sunk in the Mediterranean; hosting top-level laboratories researching the marine environment; and even launching international agreements to fight against pollution and protect endangered species.
“It is up to us, Heads of State, to collectively seize this opportunity to turn our blue planet around in a sustainable way, and thus enable our children and future generations to evolve in a more equitable and healthy world.”
Extract from the speech of Prince Rainier III of Monaco at the United Nations conference in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.
The ocean is not a dustbin
The assiduous observation of the underwater world does not only allow to discover its beauties. The effects of human activity are also, sadly, quite visible. At that time, pollution was highlighted, particularly chronic pollution, the dumping of chemical and even nuclear waste. The ocean cannot be a place for storage or dumping.
Paths that cross
Prince Rainier III and Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau
- 1976 : Ratification of the RAMOGE agreement (Saint-Raphaël, Monaco-Genoa) between France, Italy and Monaco to protect the marine environment.
- 1996: Signature of ACCOBAMS (Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area), whose secretariat is in Monaco
- 1999: The PELAGOS agreement creates a sanctuary to protect marine mammals in the Mediterranean Sea
- 1957 to 1988 : Internationally renowned, Captain Cousteau, who was the director of the Oceanographic Museum for more than 30 years, revealed the beauty but also the fragility of the “Silent World” through images.
