H.E. Ambassador Anne-Marie Boisbouvier, Monaco's Permanent Delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), continued festivities launched in February to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Principality's accession to the Organization* with a photo exhibition of this year's winners of the Environmental Photography Award of the Prince Albert II Foundation.

Following events earlier this year to showcase two UNESCO pillars - culture and education - this new exhibition put science centre stage.

As pointed out by Madame Ambassador in her speech, the Principality of Monaco has a long tradition of supporting science, and specifically oceanography, thanks to its Princes and to Prince Albert I in particular, whose name graces a prize awarded by the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO.

The photography displayed in the Ségur Hall of UNESCO headquarters until 14 October was taken by winners of the Prince Albert II Foundation of Monaco's 4th Environmental Photography Award. As wished by the Sovereign, the Foundation is actively committed to protecting and improving planetary health. It works with UNESCO as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science, led by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Madame Ambassador recalled that this photo competition reflects the Principality's goal of achieving a peaceful relationship between humankind and nature while raising awareness about the impacts of human activities on our planet's ecosystems. She also stressed the importance of the image and photography for their ability to provoke reactions and convey emotions, as a way to leave a more lasting imprint on people's conscience than numbers and reports.

Some 11,000 pictures from over 2,600 photographers in 134 countries were submitted to the jury for competition in one of five categories: "Ocean Worlds", "Into the Forest", "Polar Wonders", "Humanity versus Nature" and "Change Makers: Reasons for Hope".

More than one hundred people attended the inauguration, including the President of the General Conference of UNESCO, H.E. Ms Simona-Mirela Miculescu; Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO, Ms Lidia Brito; Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO, Mr Ernesto Ottone; Secretary of the MAB Programme, Mr Antonio Abreu, along with Mr Alain Leroy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Prince Albert II Foundation, and many Ambassadors. To raise awareness about environmental issues among young people, several students residing at the Fondation de Monaco in Paris also attended the event accompanied by Ms Martine Garcia-Mascarenhas, Director of the Fondation de Monaco at the Cité Universitaire de Paris.

The commemoration year to mark the 75th anniversary of Monaco joining UNESCO will close in December 2024 with the publication of a book of important documents that illustrate major events during these 75 years of UNESCO membership and reflect the Principality's commitment to the universal values of peace, culture, education and sustainable development.

* On 6 July 1949 Monaco submitted its accession instruments to UNESCO.

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