【Photo Diary】(1) Visit to France, Monaco and Albania
Published on July 15, 2025
I would like to share with you some of the photographs taken during my three-nation European tour which brought me to France, Monaco and Albania from June 7 to 13, 2025, in my capacity as chairman of The Nippon Foundation.
In Nice and Monaco, I attended the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), which was co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. The event took place during the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
In the Albanian capital of Tirana, I met with President Bajram Begaj, Prime Minister Edi Rama and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani to discuss the foundation’s support for the Balkan republic, especially in maritime human resources development.
[June 8, Nice (France) and Monaco]
As the Statsraad Lehmkuhl set sail from Monaco to Nice, a high-level meeting of the members of the Ocean Decade Alliance, which includes heads of state and government, was taking place on board. The meeting was to launch a call to action to accelerate global seabed mapping efforts.
Speaking as a new patron of the alliance, I stated: “It’s good to know more people of the world have begun to pay attention to ocean issues, but this is just the starting point.”
“Humankind cannot survive without a healthy ocean. To ensure the sustainable prosperity of humankind, we need to take action from an ultra-long term viewpoint of 500 to 1,000 years,” I added.
[June 9, Nice, France]
With Mr. Vidar Helgesen (left), Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC), and Ms. Leticia Reis de Carvalho (center), Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
We agreed to explore the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) among UNESCO-IOC, ISA and The Nippon Foundation for long-term cooperation to look into the deep-sea ecosystem.
I noted it is advisable for international organizations like IOC-UNESCO and ISA to take the lead, with NPOs such as The Nippon Foundation supporting the endeavor.
With participants in a meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres (front row, center) with the author (front row, second from left).
Speaking at the event, I called on participants to take action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources to promote sustainable development in the interest of peace and prosperity.
Addressing a session on strengthening partnership to promote science and policies for a healthy ocean.
(To be continued)