Your Serene Highness,
Allow me to thank you for your personal and direct support in allowing this gathering to take place in your beautiful and magical country and, more specifically, to be held under your distinguished patronage. Despite your busy schedule, you have insisted to being among us this afternoon and for that we are greatly thankful.
We are now about to end the first day of the 10th edition of the FICAC World Congress, in the presence of the Federation’s governing body, led by its dynamic president, Hon. Arnold Foote and attended by a great number of peers and honorary consuls, representing more than 90 countries.
Your Highness, please allow me to quickly present a summary of the FICAC and today’s discussions and share the highlights of the exceptional work sessions we just experienced. These sessions focused on themes related to current concerns and aspirations: the financial crisis, biodiversity and, lastly, peace.
Monaco is a stone’s throw away from those European countries most affected by the financial crisis. Additionally, our close neighbors, the Arab countries, are undergoing fundamental changes within their society; add to this the unprecedented environmental disasters threatening the Mediterranean. As stated this morning, Your Highness, our world is facing today its biggest policy changes and, therefore, challenges. Those are the guiding principles that are now shaking the entire planet to its foundation.
As far as the FICAC is concerned, this international organization founded in Copenhagen seeks to bring together, within its structure, the different associations and honorary consular bodies based across the world to promote the honorary consular functions, develop projects, and find synergies between members, to ensure more effective consular action plans both locally and internationally.
Under the active and dynamic leadership of its president, the Honorable Arnold Foote, during the last six years, FICAC has re-emphasized its recognition within the United Nation, the Organization of American States, the European Union and numerous other governments and international authorities.
Since 2005, the ACHM, Monaco Consular Corps Association has been an active member of the FICAC and sits on its Board of Directors and, as such, we were very touched by the selection of Monaco as the host country for this new edition of the Congress. We see this decision as a gesture of appreciation for the efforts of the ACHM in Monaco and within the federation; but also as a clear testament of the Principality’s extraordinary brand image abroad.
Today’s event will certainly be part of the international consular history by virtue of the intensity and quality of the discussions that took place, as well as the brilliant presentations on topics related to the themes selected by this conference. Furthermore, on behalf of everyone here, I would like to particularly thank our distinguished speakers: Their Excellencies Erick Derick, Bernard Fautrier, Serge Telle, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, and Professor Walter Scandale for their invaluable contributions during this conference.
Your Highness, I hope that this brief summary has given a clearer notion of this Congress’s contribution and, most importantly, understanding the need for a major involvement at all levels of society to face the growing political, economic, and ecological challenges that threaten our world. And I know well that these issues are particularly dear to both the Principality and to you personally, Your Highness.
Thank you
