Monaco recalled its support for the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB).

Since the International Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in June 1992, he United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization - UNESCO - has been emphasising intergovernmental scientific cooperations to tackle natural resources protection and ecosystems sustainable management from different points of knowledge.  The consequent adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity further attracted the attention on science-based actions aimed at promoting a more sustainable and rational use of the so-called Biosphere, which is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists.

The Man and the Biosphere Programme - MaB - was launched in 1971 under the umbrella of UNESCO to gather international scientists and compare their studies on biological diversity while promoting nature reserves to protect their balance.

The 37th session of the MaB's International Coordinating Council has been recently held in Lin'an, China, from the 26th to the 28th September 2025. Monaco was on the front line with a national delegation led by H.E. Anne-Marie Boisbouvier, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Monaco to UNESCO, and Agatha Korczak, First Secretary.

Photo >> Monaco's Delegation at the 37th session of the MaB's International Coordinating Council (Lin'an, China, 26th - 29th September 2025) © Direction de la Communication Gouvernement Princier

The diplomatic delegation from the Principality of Monaco, in particular, developed two main actions:

• The signing of targeted project to foster a concrete mangrove restoration in São Tomé and Príncipe, particularly welcomed byAntonio D. Abreu, Secretary General of the MaB Programme;

• The awarding of the Bourses pour Jeunes Scientifiques Prince Albert Ier de Monaco,(Prince Albert I of Monaco for Young Scientists).

The latter was funded in 2022 to support young researchers working in coastal and island reserves. In 2025, five scholarships were awarded, being appointed under the name of the Monegasque Sovereign, for the first time.

Photo >> H.E. Anne-Marie Boisbouvier, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Monaco to UNESCO, and Agatha Korczak, First Secretary, attending the 37th session of the MaB's International Coordinating Council (Lin'an, China, 26th - 29th September 2025) © Direction de la Communication Gouvernement Princier

The Monaco's Ambassador to UINESCO emphasized the positive impact of these scholarships, which are part of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) to identify, generate and use critical ocean knowledge to sustainably manage the ocean.

The Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan (2026–2035) was unanimously adopted within the summit after being discussed at the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves, held in Hangzhou, China, the same month. This Plan pushes the MaB Programme to focus around three axes:

• Multilateral Cooperation;

• Development of the Biosphere Reserve Network;

• Promotion of Scientific Research.

The opening ceremony of the 37th Session was marked by a set of keynotes by Xuexiang Ding, Chinese Deputy Prime Minister, and Audrey Azoulay, Director-General at UNESCO, who both highlighted the importance of multilateralism to address environmental challenges. Within this international summit, twenty-six biosphere reserves were established, including São Tomé and Príncipe, which becomes the first national territory to be entirely classified as a Biosphere Reserve. ***

✒️ Maurice Abbati

• Strategic Communication Specialist, Editor in Chief, Journalist, Executive.

• Lecturer and Author in English in the field of Environmental Communication to foster Circular and Blue Economy.