New Delhi, June 16 (UNI) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday chaired the inaugural Assembly of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), marking a significant milestone in global conservation efforts for big cats.

The IBCA, an initiative envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023, aims to protect and conserve big cat species across their range countries.



During the Assembly, an apex governing body of the IBCA, key decisions were made, including the approval of the workplan, the rules of procedure, and the staff and financial regulations manual, paving way for its functioning at the ground level.

These foundational steps are set to guide the entity's governance, operations, and international collaborations.



The Assembly also unanimously appointed Bhupender Yadav as the President of the IBCA, while SP Yadav was named the Director General of the alliance, as per a statement from the Union Environment Ministry.



A coalition of 95 range countries, IBCA has a mandate for conservation of seven big cats namely Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma.



Addressing the gathering, the Minister said that the collective action among big cat range countries is important for conservation and protection of the seven major big cat species and their natural habitats.

The assembly was attended by ministerial delegation from 9 countries including Bhutan, Cambodia, Eswatini, Guinea, India, Liberia, Suriname, Somalia and Kazakhstan.

"The ratification of the headquarter agreement signed by IBCA with India, will enable the entity 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," added the statement. UNI AJ SSP