What were the highlights, key points, priorities and notable excerpts and quotes in Christophe Mirmand's speech at the UN General Assembly?

Christophe Mirmand is a senior French civil servant appointed to lead Monaco's government by Prince Albert II, who named him the 26th Minister of State of Monaco. He is a graduate of Sciences Po and holds a specialized postgraduate degree in financial management, a Master's in international and European law, and a Bachelor's in history, and is an alumnus of the École Nationale d'Administration. In Monaco's system, the Minister of State is the head of government, the person who runs the country day to day on behalf of the sovereign. Mirmand spoke on behalf of Prince Albert II, who did not travel to New York himself.

Highlights

• Sovereignty is not a privilege, it is a duty. Mirmand opened by noting Monaco is the smallest member state by land mass, barely two square kilometers, yet at the UN every one of the 193 members carries a voice of equal weight. He stressed that sovereign equality is not a benefit states enjoy but a responsibility they bear: "the equality that our organization bestows upon us is not a privilege that we enjoy. It is a responsibility that we bear." (00:57)

• The law is under assault. He named the central crisis directly: rearmament accelerating worldwide, force being used again as a political tool, trade breaking down, a race to capture critical resources, and disinformation eroding people's trust in their institutions. He said belief in multilateralism "has never been tried to such an extent since 1945." (03:36)

• Ukraine: unambiguous condemnation. Mirmand said a permanent member of the Security Council has been waging a war of aggression against a sovereign state for almost five years, in flagrant violation of the UN Gourma Charter. He confirmed Monaco voted in favor of every General Assembly resolution calling for Russian withdrawal, aligned with all EU restrictive measures, and provided humanitarian support. He stated Monaco "will never recognize any annexation of territory obtained through force." (05:01)

• Gaza ceasefire, two-state solution, West Bank violence. He welcomed the ceasefire in Gaza and the freeing of hostages, condemned the acts of October 7 and the civilian price paid by people in Gaza equally, and called for full humanitarian access. He expressed concern about ongoing violence in the West Bank and reaffirmed that the only viable option is the two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within safe and recognized borders. (06:20)

• Lebanon and Iran. He called on all parties to fulfill their commitments under Security Council resolution 1701 on Lebanon, and said only negotiations can produce a global agreement on the Iranian nuclear program and prevent further escalation. (07:27)

• Reform the UN from 2030. Monaco supports the UN80 initiative to make the organization more streamlined and closer to people on the ground. Mirmand called on the "real leaders of the United Nations" to rethink the architecture of the system from 2030, bringing in the public and private sector, civil society, and educational and cultural hubs, and guaranteeing small states genuine inclusivity. He also called for Security Council reform and the revitalization of the General Assembly. (08:51)

• A woman should lead the UN next. On the election of the next Secretary-General, he called for a transparent and rigorous process and said that "after 80 years, the principality hopes that women candidates will be seriously considered." (10:23)

• The ocean as a model for multilateral trust. He pointed to the entry into force of the agreement on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction as proof that multilateralism can deliver. Monaco was one of the first to sign and ratify it. He called for protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030, an ambitious binding agreement on plastics pollution, and extreme caution on deep-sea mining. (11:12)

• Climate and science. He cited the Paris Agreement as the common framework, committed Monaco to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 67.5% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and called on all countries to show more ambition. He noted that the Mediterranean experienced its second-highest surface temperature ever recorded in the preceding year. He defended science directly: "science has never been as certain, as accessible, and as clear." (11:48)

• AI and digital governance. He called for AI technologies to remain at the service of humanity, supported the implementation of the global digital compact, and called for a new normative framework on AI based on law and shared ethical principles. He also called for stronger cooperation on cyber threats. (13:43)

Priorities

• Monaco will never recognize territory annexed by force, and its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering.
• Full, safe, unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza and strengthening the ceasefire there.
• A two-state solution as the only viable path to peace between Israel and Palestine.
• Security Council resolution 1701 implemented fully in Lebanon; negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.
• UN restructured from 2030, with Security Council reform and genuine inclusivity for small states.
• A woman seriously considered for the next Secretary-General role.
• 30% of the ocean protected by 2030; a binding agreement on plastics; caution on deep-sea mining.
• Monaco's own commitment: 67.5% emissions reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.
• A new AI governance framework anchored in law and human rights.

In his own words

On equal responsibility between states: "The equality that our organization bestows upon us is not a privilege that we enjoy. It is a responsibility that we bear. This responsibility is our shared unique duty to uphold the law and multilateralism."

On why small states believe in international law: "When might makes right, it is the smallest states who are the first to be threatened. When force is regulated by the law, all of humanity is protected."

On the scope of today's task: "In the words of Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the UN, the UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell. That is the exact scope of our task. And that is why we do not have the right to give up."

On Ukraine: "For almost five years, a permanent member of the Security Council has been waging a war of aggression against the sovereign state in flagrant violation of the charter. From the very outset, Monaco condemned this aggression unambiguously and unreservedly."

On territorial annexation: "Monaco will never recognize any annexation of territory obtained through force. Allowing this for one state would be tantamount to allowing it for all."

On Gaza: "Nothing can ever justify the acts of terror of the 7th of October, but nor can anything justify the price paid by these civilians in Gaza."

On the two-state solution: "Our Sahel belief remains the same. The only viable option is the two-state solution. Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within safe and recognized borders. Any policy that makes that scenario less likely through settlement building or sowing terror makes peace less likely too."

On Lebanon: "The people of Lebanon have the right to a fully sovereign state in peace throughout its territory."

On Iran: "Only negotiations can lead to a global agreement on the Iranian nuclear program and will prevent further escalation."

On the ocean: "The ocean is nobody's property. It is everyone's responsibility."

On science and climate: "Science has never been as certain, as accessible, and as clear." And: "The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat. Heat waves, fires, and floods are multiplying."

On UN reform: "Monaco calls on the real leaders of the United Nations to rethink the architecture of our system from 2030. Bringing on board the public and private sector, civil society and educational and cultural hubs."

On a woman leading the UN: "After 80 years, the principality hopes that women candidates will be seriously considered. The organization would do well to demonstrate at its helm the equality for which it stands."

On AI: "Artificial intelligence is creating enormous opportunities for human development, but it also entails genuine risks. These technologies must remain at the service of humanity and the United Nations cannot remain a spectator."

On trust: "Trust is not decreed. It is won through deeds and through promises kept."

On the generation's task, quoting Albert Camus: "The great French writer Albert Camus defined the task of his generation thus: not to reform the world but perhaps even greater to prevent the world from destroying itself. Today that is our task: preventing the world from destroying itself. Preventing law being destroyed by force, preventing trust being destroyed by mistrust, and preventing the planet from being destroyed under the weight of our negligence."

Closing commitment: "On behalf of his serene highness, Prince Albert II, I wish to reiterate the commitment of Monaco to the United Nations, to its charter, and to the ideal that led to its establishment, saving future generations from the scourge of war, and building together a common house where even the smallest states can take their rightful place, because here the law protects them all."

Worth knowing

Monaco's relationship to the UN is unusual. It is a sovereign principality of roughly 2 square kilometers on the French Riviera, ruled by Prince Albert II of the House of Grimaldi, with a population of around 38,000. It is governed day to day by a Minister of State who by long tradition is a French citizen, appointed by the prince from candidates proposed by the French government. Mirmand, born in Constantine in French Algeria, was appointed the 26th Minister of State of Monaco by Prince Albert II.

Prince Albert II is internationally known for his environmental advocacy, particularly on ocean protection, which explains why that section of the speech carries such personal weight. The BBNJ Agreement, the treaty on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, is a landmark multilateral deal years in the making. Monaco was among its earliest signatories and ratifiers.

The reference to Dag Hammarskjöld is to the Swedish diplomat who served as the UN's second Secretary-General from 1953 until his death in a plane crash in 1961. He remains one of the most revered figures in UN history, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously. The Camus quote comes from Albert Camus's Nobel Prize acceptance remarks in 1957, when Camus defined his generation's task not as reforming the world but as preventing it from destroying itself. Mirmand used both to frame Monaco's philosophy: the UN exists not to perfect humanity but to keep it from the worst.

Watch Day and read the full speech

Watch the full speech on YouTube