changeadminThe first Assembly of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), aimed at the conservation of big cats in range countries, was held in New Delhi today.
India’s Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Bhupender Yadav, presided over the meeting.
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is a coalition of 95 range countries with a mandate for the conservation of seven big cats, namely the Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma.
The Assembly, which is the apex body of the IBCA, was attended by Ministerial delegation from 9 countries, viz., Kingdom of Bhutan, Kingdom of Cambodia, Kingdom of Eswatini, Republic of Guinea, Republic of India, Republic of Liberia, Republic of Suriname, Federal Republic of Somalia and Republic of Kazakhstan.
In his address, Mr Yadav stated that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has emerged as a global leader in wildlife conservation, achieving notable successes over the past decade. He called upon the Big Cat range countries to actively engage and collaborate in the initiatives and programmes of the IBCA.
He emphasised the importance of collective action to advance the conservation and protection of the seven major big cat species and their natural habitats, assist in securing our ecological future, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
The Assembly unanimously endorsed Mr Bhupender Yadav as the President of the IBCA. The Assembly also endorsed Mr S.P. Yadav as the Director General of IBCA.
The Assembly endorsed the proceedings of the first International Steering Committee meeting of IBCA, which was held in April 2024, ratified the Headquarters Agreement signed by IBCA with the Republic of India, approved the Workplan, Rules of Procedure of the Assembly and the manual of Staff and financial regulations of the IBCA.
These will serve as the guiding foundation for the effective governance, operations, and collaborative initiatives of the International Big Cat Alliance.
The ratification of the Headquarter Agreement signed by IBCA with Republic of India, will enable the IBCA to establish its Headquarters and such other offices in the Host Country as may be necessary to fully and efficiently discharge its official functions and programmes and the Government recognizes the International legal personality of the IBCA and the IBCA Secretariat.
The IBCA was established by the Government of India, through the nodal organisation, viz. National Tiger Conservation Authority, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change vide order dated 12.3.2024.
The primary objective of IBCA is to facilitate collaboration and synergy amongst range countries and other stakeholders, consolidating successful conservation practices and expertise to achieve a common goal of conservation of big cats at a global level.
This unified approach, bolstered by financial support, aims to boost the biodiversity conservation agenda, halt the decline in big cat populations, and conserve our ecology.
During the meeting, the dignitaries from the participating countries also showed their commitment to actively working for achieving the goals of IBCA for the conservation of these magnificent species and working wholeheartedly for securing our ecological future and saving biodiversity.
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