The Foundation expands its International presence by announcing its U.S. Chapter

Less than two years after H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco created an eponymous Foundation that would reflect his personal commitment to the protection of the world’s natural environment in the areas of climate change, loss of biodiversity and water management, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is spreading its message and mission across the globe, with the opening of its U.S. chapter this fall.

H.E. Bernard Fautrier, Vice President and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and John B. Kelly III, President of its US arm, will preside over the introduction of the US chapter of the Foundation on September 17 at a VIP reception in New York City, which will feature remarks by eminent keynote speaker Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs of The Earth Institute at Columbia University and Samantha Smith, Technical & Scientific Committee Member of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. “One of its initial US activities will be the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Millennium Villages project supported by the Earth Institute, Millennium Promise and UNDP. The Foundation also has a partnership with the United Nations Foundation’s Global Leadership for Climate Action and a commitment within the framework of the Clinton Global Initiative 2007,” said Kelly.

The announcement of the U.S. branch of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation coincides with Project Globe, an initiative of Travel + Leisure magazine. Project Globe will feature works of art created by18 renowned artists, designers, and photographers which will be auctioned to benefit Future Generations, a nonprofit organization devoted to conservation and community development.

An integral part of the Project Globe gala event and exhibition is Monaco Lounge – a cutting-edge, customized installation depicting the past, present and future of the Principality of Monaco as one of the world’s foremost environmental stewards. This joint collaboration between the Consulate General of Monaco and the Monaco Government Tourist Office with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation will also showcase the Foundation’s important international work. “The Principality of Monaco has a long and distinguished record of accomplishment concerning the world’s natural environment, stretching back more than a century when Prince Albert I of Monaco sailed the world’s oceans seeking ways to preserve them,” said Hon. Maguy Maccario Doyle, Consul General and Director of the Monaco Government Tourist Office.

“During his reign, Prince Rainier III ensured that Monaco was one of the most environmentally sensitive countries in Europe and now Prince Albert has enhanced that proud legacy with the establishment of his Foundation and ratification of the Kyoto Protocol,” said Maccario Doyle, who also serves as Vice President of the Foundation’s US chapter.

The Foundation is partnering with various leading organizations, individuals and local communities to support sustainable projects. To date more than $US17 million in grants has been awarded by the Foundation to more than 70 conservation projects in the Mediterranean Basin, the Poles, and in some of the world’s least developed nations, mainly in the Sahalian region of Africa, according to Fautrier.

Upon establishing the Foundation in 2006, Prince Albert cited its mission as “a permanent source of dynamic and innovative action for environmental protection and sustainable development and to accelerate action by mobilizing people and resources on an international scale. By bringing together individuals and companies with a shared objective - the protection of the global environment - the Foundation promotes and supports the equitable management of natural resources and places the individual at the center of its international ventures.”

Contact: Elle Berdy Consulate General of Monaco +1 212 286 0500 E.Berdy@monaco-consulate.com