The Prince Albert II Foundation in Singapore
Monaco
On Thursday 19th August, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco presided over a charity dinner in Singapore organised by Ms Jacqueline Deromedi, Consul of Monaco in Singapore. Over 300 prominent figures took part in the event, the proceeds of which were donated to the Prince Albert II Foundation. On this occasion, the President of the Republic of Singapore, S.R. Nathan, paid tribute to the action undertaken by the Sovereign Prince and his foundation for the environment and sustainable development.
On Friday 20th August, the Sovereign Prince attended an event hosted by his Foundation, in cooperation with BirdLife International and the Nature Society (Singapore). On this occasion, the “Forest of Hope” project was officially launched in the presence of representatives of the Kingdom of Cambodia and of Indonesia. The goal of the project is to combat the deforestation of the tropical rainforests, by creating sustainably managed protected areas, which will also have the effect of protecting the indigenous populations. BirdLife and the Prince Albert II Foundation are already working together for the conservation of birds of prey in the Mediterranean Region, chiefly via a restoration plan for the Bonelli’s Eagle, thanks to an agreement with the Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux, the official representative of BirdLife in France since 1993, as well as the reintroduction of the Bearded Vulture into the Alpine Region.
Both NGOs are also involved in the preservation of endangered petrel and albatross species in the Indian Ocean.
During his address at the event, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince insisted on the fact that “the preservation of biodiversity is the guarantor for the vital balance of a Planet which we now understand is above all finite, vulnerable and precious.In this respect, the Forests of Hope conservation and restoration project, conducted in Sumatra and in Cambodia in particular, allows unique areas of the globe to be protected and preserved whose importance is key, both for our survival and for our knowledge of the world.”
These projects also enable large areas to escape deforestation through fire, which, it is important to point out, represents over 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore contributes overall as much to global warming as transport.
BirdLife International is a partner of local authorities, governments and international organisations that produces scientific data and offers expertise on bird conservation, the protection and management of their habitats and living conditions. The organisation is the official authority for the IUCN red list on birds. In addition to birds, the association contributes more widely to environmental protection which is the condition for avifauna to survive and be able to live normally. The NGO has the support of several million people worldwide.