The Monaco Monitor

Soroptimist is a Monegasque fund-raising company providing support to handicapped people in their everyday lives. It has organized a dinner in Monaco tomorrow night (26th October) at the Hôtel Hermitage in aid of the Special Olympics. (more…)

It is at the time of a reception on October 17 in Gracie Mansion, his official residence, and in the presence of representatives of the city and of a hundred consul generals, that the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, gave a proclamation honouring the consular body based in its city to Mrs. Maguy Maccario-Doyle, recently elected President of Society off Foreign Consuls in New York. (more…)

With a very significant participation of the sportsmen and professionals of the diffusion of the sport (television and new media), came from the whole world in Monaco for this single forum which is in particular dedicated to them - as the figures show it, largely higher than those of 2005: 2115 attendees in the market, 931 exhibitors, 12 conferences with 485 attendees, 195 accredited journalists this year. Tuesday evening, at the time of the ceremony of the Gold Podiums George Bertellotti, the rewards were decreed in the presence of H.S.H the Sovereign Prince Albert II.

On October 11th, further that Monaco and China have strengthened their relationship, in the Prince’s Palace, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince Albert II received the Letters of credence from François Nordmann, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Switzerland. Later Mr. Nordmann went to greet the President of the national Council. 

On Thursday October 12, 2006 took place a ceremony at the Hotel Hermitage, organized to mark the 60e birthday of the establishment of the Labor Court of Monaco. After have been welcomed by MM. Jacques Wolzock and Jean-Paul Hamet, President and Vice-president of the Labor Court, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince Albert II underlined the exemplarity taking into consideration fundamental principle of the right, of this specific organization which associates employers, paid and professional magistrates.

After long years, the Ministers for transport of the EU adopted in Luxembourg the protocol of transport of alpine Convention. With this protocol, the signatories’ parts begin to follow a “sustainable transport policy”, in particular with regard to the transfer of the traffic of the goods from the road to the rail, give up building new important road axes for the transalpine traffic and commit themselves reducing pollution. (more…)

There are still places available for this October’s inaugural ‘Do It In Monaco’ forum this Friday 27th and Saturday 28th October. Organized by the Jeune Chambre Économique de Monaco (JCE) and supported by the government of Monaco and its business partners, the forum aims at encouraging further investment in the Principality by investors of all ages and nationalities. There will be a series of conferences and practical workshops held at the Rainier III Auditorium on, inviting seasoned business professionals and young entrepreneurs alike to participate. It will be an opportunity for established bosses and those interested in setting up in the area to meet, share ideas and formulate growth plans. Presenting the sessions will be governmental authorities, representatives from Monegasque companies, banks and financial institutions as well as experts and accountants from various other sectors. One or two-day passes are available at E50 or E75 respectively. Existing businesses wishing to promote their product may hire a stand and 5 passes for the conference for E1,350. The objectives are to present new opportunities for investment and answer investors’ questions on Monaco, as well as to facilitate business peoples’ networking and provide advice to individuals or groups on the viability of their projects and how to achieve their goals. According to the JCE, the Principality is an attractive proposition to companies. Not only does it come with a good quality of life, a pleasant climate and political stability, it is also a stone’s throw from Nice airport, France’s second largest, meaning most European capitals are within two hours’ flight. It also has low taxation (for businesses), a flexible labor code and well-developed banking and finance systems. Sophia Antipolis, a large technological area, is half an hour away, providing access to a highly-skilled workforce. The Monaco Department of Finance and Economics reported there were some 4,600 companies in 2004, employing over 41,000 people and with a combined turnover of approximately E9,815 billion. Most business sectors are represented in the Principality, although trade covers around 40%, banking 15% and real estate/construction and industry each accounting for about 8%.

Monaco coach Laszlo Boloni has been relieved of his duties and replaced by his deputy Laurent Banide until further notice, the French Ligue 1 strugglers’ chairman Michel Pastor said on Monday. (more…)

Omar Hijazi, CEO of Tejari, has presented a ceremonial sword to HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, during the invitation-only Monaco Media Forum in Monte Carlo. Hijazi presented the traditional saif - an inscribed, gold-dipped Arabian sword - to the ruler of Monaco, to symbolize the links that Tejari is building between Dubai, the wider Middle East and the world’s leading media organizations. The sword presented to Prince Albert from Tejari included an inscribed quote from UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which reads, ‘In the race for excellence, there is no finish line.’ Tejari’s invitation to this conference highlights the increased international profile of Dubai and digitally-focused companies based there such as Tejari. ‘The handover of the ceremonial gift symbolizes how strongly we embrace the ideal that the pen, and by extension digital media, is mightier than the sword. The inscription embodies the spirit of the conference looking to bring together leaders in the digital revolution. Moreover, our participation demonstrates Tejari’s continued commitment to seek out advanced media technologies and partnerships that complement our marketplace and deliver more value to our customers’ said Hijazi. Hijazi and Abdulla Salman, Tejari marketing director, attended the Forum to raise Tejari’s profile with global media and business leaders. Tejari is engaged in an ongoing process of reaching out to organizations around the world, to extend the reach of its marketplace, and to build awareness of Tejari as a gateway to building a profitable presence in Dubai and the wider Middle East market. At present Tejari operates in markets such as the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, with new offices in the immediate pipeline.
The Monaco Media Forum, which included sponsors such as HH Prince Walid bin Talal of Kingdom Holdings, brings together leaders of the global media to share their experience and views to enable them to take up common challenges together more effectively. The theme of this year’s Forum was the future of digital and online media, and many of the most innovative media organizations in the field attended the event.

The Monaco Government is finalising a bill that should be presented to the National Council during the first half of 2007”, Denis Ravera, Government Counsellor for Social Affairs and Health, stated. The general principle of the text being prepared: the banning of smoking in public areas. The rationale: to respect individual freedom while protecting the public from passive smoking. Advertising for tobacco, however, will be maintained. In France, smoking in all public areas will be prohibited as from 1st February 2007.