COP12 Logo Launched in Philippines Senate
Bonn/Manila, 28 February 2017 – the official logo for the 12th Session of the Conference of the Parties to CMS was officially launched today (2:00 pm Manila time) at a ceremony held in the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines.
The Conference (COP12) will take place in Manila from 23 to 27 October with the theme: “Their Future is Our Future: Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People”, linking the efforts undertaken under CMS to protect endangered migratory wildlife to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by world governments in an historic summit held in September 2015.
“We are really looking forward to coming to Manila in October for the first ever CMS COP to be held in Asia. The agenda of the Conference is going to contain many items of great interest to all 124 Parties to the Convention. And we are determined to show how important environmental protection is to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Philippines will no doubt be involved in the discussion about listing the Whale Shark on Appendix I given the species’ role in ecotourism which contributes so much to the local economy.”
Bert Lenten, Deputy Executive Secretary, CMS
Centrepiece of the COP12 logo is a Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus), a species likely to be proposed for greater protection at the Conference. Also featured is a selection of other marine, terrestrial and avian animals, with which humans share the planet. The C and the P in the logo are rendered as stylized tattoos, which are a traditional mark of bravery in many cultures, indicating the importance of championing the cause of conservation. The O of the word COP appears as the multi-coloured wheel of the logo of the SDGs, reinforcing the connection between sustainable development and environmental conservation. Also prominent in the design are the national colours of the Host Country - red, blue and yellow, and a hand emerging from the waves symbolizing the duty of stewardship humans have for wildlife and the planet.
Key people attending the launch included Senator Loren Legarda, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, Senator Cynthia A. Villar, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Theresa Mundita S. Lim, Director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau and Bert Lenten, Deputy Executive Secretary of CMS.
For more information about CMS COP12 please visit: www.cms.int/cop12
Gallery images
