The Alpine Convention this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. Monaco has been a member since 1994.

Monaco’s interest in the conservation of mountain regions began well before the Alpine Convention: even in the time of Prince Albert I, in the early twentieth century, conservation projects were being developed as a result of Monaco’s commitment, including a cross-border Natural Park in the Pyrenees and the development of hydrotherapy and tourism in the Alps that respected the sites and the environment.

Today, the Principality actively participates in the exchange of experience and good practice among the eight member countries and in the development of joint initiatives.

Monaco hosted in 2008 a meeting of the executive body of the Alpine Convention, the Standing Committee.

Through numerous partnerships, the Principality has partnered with the reintroduction of the bearded vulture, the implementation of Via Alpina and the reforestation of cross-border areas in cooperation with France. Monaco is committed to the platform of the Alpine Convention on Ecological Connectivity and provides significant support to the ALPARC association, which brings together protected areas in the Alpine arc.

The Alpine Convention is firmly committed to the fight against climate change. The melting of Alpine glaciers alerted the scientific world to the reality of these changes. Warming is twice as high in the Alps as in the rest of the northern hemisphere and because of the topography, the massif is also more exposed to the natural disasters that are likely to result.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation are therefore at the forefront of the goals set by ministers and high-level representatives of the eight countries at the XIVth Alpine Conference last October. The Principality will contribute with the objective of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030.

The Alpine Convention is an international treaty for the protection and sustainable development of the Alps, ratified by eight Alpine countries (Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia and Switzerland) and the European Union.

The Alps, with their unique biodiversity capital, water and wood reserves, constitute a natural, cultural, environmental and living environment for more than 14 million people and an attractive tourist destination for more than 120 million tourists every year.

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