H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco awarded the Teddy Roosevelt Medal at the US Congress in Washington (October, 2009)

On October 20, 2009, during His trip to the United States, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince was awarded the Teddy Roosevelt Medal at the United States Congress in Washington in recognition of His environmental conservation action. He received the distinction at a dinner organized by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation which hosted approximately 200 prominent figures: members of Congress, representatives of major environmental associations and the business world.

On this occasion, H.S.H. Prince Albert II spoke with the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives. On presenting the Teddy Roosevelt medal to the Sovereign Prince, she stressed the importance of His resolute action in the area of the conservation of endangered species and emphasized His commitment to the protection of the blue fin tuna, which she indicated was shared by the United States. The ICCF's objective is to act as a forum for American politicians, business players and foreign decision makers to convince people of the interest in developing international action on conserving species and raising awareness on efficient management of animal and plant natural resources, a building block of sustainable development.
The last Teddy Roosevelt medal was awarded to Mr. Tony Blair in 2007 for his international action in the area of conservation.

In his acceptance speech, H.S.H. the Prince paid homage to Theodore Roosevelt who was the 26th President of the United States between 1901 and 1909, declaring “What impressed me the most was his extraordinary ability to be ahead of his time. By creating a system of national parks, national forests and nature reserves, by introducing more sustainable, fairer water management, Teddy Roosevelt was one of the first Heads of state to place the environment – a term that did not exist at the time – at the heart of a coherent vision for his country.”

And He emphasized “his capacity to care about others, understand, above all, that the fate of faraway countries has an impact on peoples at home. The Nobel Prize which crowned his courageous commitment in the service of peace resonates as a rallying cry: we should never be content with thinking merely about the here and now but always strive to understand the world with and for others, elsewhere and tomorrow”.

H.S.H. Prince Albert II receiving the Teddy Roosevelt Medal from Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.