MCAST student presents winning design of the Maltese Presidency logo
A month before Malta takes on the Presidency of the Council of Europe, on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg outlined Malta’s Presidency priorities, as MCAST student Shelley Borg unveiled her winning design for the Presidency’s logo.
On 14th May, Luxembourg will officially hand over the Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers to Malta for a six-month term, until November. As Malta marks 60 years of Council of Europe membership, this Presidency will be the fourth time that the country is chairing this organisation.
Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg explained that Malta is taking on the Presidency in unprecedented times, as the world faces emerging social and geopolitical uncertainties. “Such a period of delicate transformation calls for responsible, diligent and resilient leadership. As we have shown during our recent UN Security Council term and the 2024 Maltese OSCE Chairpersonship, it becomes even more crucial for us to continue upholding dialogue and multilateralism, while safeguarding human rights, democracy and rule of law, the core values of the Council of Europe.”
The Maltese Presidency will focus on the protection of children, youth empowerment, combating violence and discrimination, safeguarding human rights as well as maintaining the organisation’s steadfast support for Ukraine.
“We need to strengthen the protection of children from emerging forms of abuse and sexual exploitation, especially online, ensuring they are equipped with the required skills to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly,” Dr Borg emphasised. Youth empowerment will also top Malta’s Presidency agenda, reaffirming the importance of involving young people in decision-making processes.
“Malta will also work to combat violence and discrimination, especially violence against women and girls. It will also celebrate the historic 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights, the legal foundation of the collective commitment of member states to the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms,” added the Deputy Prime Minister.
The Permanent Representative of Malta to the Council of Europe, Ambassador Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, explained that Malta’s Presidency programme will include three ministerial conferences on children’s rights, justice and youth, that will be hosted in Valletta, in July, September and October. The policy programme will also feature several high-level conferences, including the IDAHOT Forum, the first official engagement of the Presidency on 20th May, reconfirming Malta’s position as a respected international leader in LGBTIQ+ rights.
Furthermore, Malta will host meetings of several Council of Europe technical committees, as well as the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. “As part of Malta’s commitment to dialogue and collaboration in the Mediterranean region, we will also continue advancing the work of the Council of Europe’s North-South Centre, which Malta has been chairing for the last three years,” Dr Camilleri Vettiger added.
At the beginning of the 2024/25 academic year, the Permanent Representation of Malta to the Council of Europe invited MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts students to propose designs for the upcoming Presidency’s logo. Shelley Borg’s winning design, a forward-looking, vibrant emblem inspired by iconic elements of Malta’s cultural heritage, was officially unveiled during Tuesday’s press conference. “My logo is based on symbols evoking the essence of our identity: the sun, the sea, the luzzu, with the spiral at its centre – such as the one found etched in stone in our megalithic temples – which inspires continuous change, where young people play a central role,” the student explained.
MCAST Deputy Principal Mario Cardona and lecturer Darren Duncan thanked the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism for entrusting the logo of such a momentous occasion to MCAST students. “Through this project, education went beyond the process of learning, as students actively contributed to a national effort with lasting impact,” Dr Cardona said, as he praised the 17 participating students and their lecturers for their dedication and professionalism.
The 2025 Maltese Presidency of the Council of Europe will also feature an extensive cultural programme, particularly in Strasbourg, with the participation of top local and international talent, from Joseph Calleja to Ira Losco, from KorMalta and ZfinMalta to Oliver Friggieri’s writings and Immanuel Mifsud’s poetry, from Jamie Cardona to Clare Tonna, and many others.
Sean Buhagiar, the artistic director of the Presidency’s cultural programme themed ‘Wieħed, Wieħed. Waħda, Waħda’ said that this artistic offering is an invitation to understand the depths of Malta today – which is inspired by its rich history and traditions and at the same time continuously adapts to new and contemporary ways, underlining contemporary as meaning “of the now”. Culture is the beating heart of a nation, he explained, adding that the Presidency will present the idea that culture, very much like Malta’s international role, is an opportunity for unity, for openness and for connection.
