Minister of State Represents Monaco at the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly

H.E. Christophe MIRMAND, Minister of State, led the Monegasque delegation to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, whose High-Level Week was held from 21 to 28 September 2026 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Speaking on behalf of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, the Minister of State delivered the Principality's statement during the General Debate on 25 September.

Placing the defence of international law and multilateralism at the heart of his address, he recalled that the sovereign equality of States confers upon each of them, regardless of size, the same rights as well as the same responsibilities.

H.E. Mr MIRMAND also called for trust in the multilateral system to be restored by adapting it to the transformations shaping today's world. He advocated a United Nations that is simpler, more effective and closer to realities on the ground. With the selection of the next United Nations Secretary-General approaching, the Minister of State stressed that, eighty years after the creation of the Organisation, female candidates should be given serious consideration.

The Ocean, climate and technological change were the other major themes of his address. He welcomed the entry into force of the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), which Monaco was among the first States to sign and ratify. He also reaffirmed Monaco's climate commitments and called for international governance of artificial intelligence grounded in law, shared ethical principles and respect for human rights.

In conclusion, the Minister of State reaffirmed Monaco's commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, recalling that: "This promise can only be upheld through the rule of law, not the rule of force."

Alongside his address, on 24 September, the Minister of State took part in the High-Level Plenary Meeting to Address the Existential Threats Posed by Sea-level Rise, during which Member States unanimously adopted a Political Declaration calling for urgent action to protect threatened populations, territories and economies.

In his statement, Mr MIRMAND emphasised: "The Political Declaration must not be an end point. It must be a starting point. [...] We must rapidly and substantially reduce our emissions, anticipate the consequences and strengthen capacities in order to protect populations." He went on to reaffirm the Principality's determination "to leave no State alone in the face of rising seas."

The following day, he took part in a high-level meeting of the Small States of Europe, held as a follow-up to the Declaration adopted in Andorra during the Games of the Small States of Europe in 2025. He stated: "As Small States of Europe, we face many of the same challenges and share the same vision of multilateral cooperation. We will meet again in Monaco in 2027 for the Games of the Small States of Europe."

He also met with Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs at the traditional reception of the Forum of Small States (FOSS), before attending, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Andorra, the traditional dinner of the three European small States with the San Marino delegation.

On the sidelines of the General Assembly, the Minister of State held several bilateral meetings, notably with the Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad, as well as with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda. He had previously attended the Francophone evening "En français s'il vous plaît!", held in the presence of the Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.