RAMOGE accord marks 50 years of Mediterranean protection
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
An exhibition in the Ministère d'État marks half a century of the trilateral RAMOGE accord, signed at the Palais Princier in 1976 at the initiative of Prince Rainier III.
Fifty years ago, on 10 May 1976, France, Monaco and Italy signed the RAMOGE accord in the Salle du Trône of the Palais Princier - an unusual setting for an intergovernmental agreement, and a sign of how seriously Prince Rainier III took the protection of the Mediterranean coastline. The accord took its name from Saint-Raphaël, Monaco and Gênes, the three anchor points of the original zone it covered. That zone has since expanded to run from the mouth of the Rhône to the mouth of the Magra river on the Italian Ligurian coast.
To mark the milestone, an exhibition is now on display in the hall of the Ministère d'État on Place de la Visitation. It traces five decades of trilateral cooperation on marine environment protection and coastal management - work that sits at the heart of Monaco's long-standing commitment to ocean conservation.
For residents and visitors to the Principality, the exhibition offers a grounded account of how Monaco has operated as a genuine diplomatic actor on environmental issues, well before such cooperation became fashionable. Entry is through the Ministère d'État.