New Delhi [India], February 3 (ANI/WAM): The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) has officially come into force as a full-fledged, treaty-based, inter-governmental international organisation and an international legal entity.
This was announced by India's Ministry of External Affairs, which is the depository of the Framework Agreement for instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession by countries seeking to become IBCA members.
So far 27 countries have become IBCA members. Several international and national organisations working in the field of wildlife conservation have agreed to partner with the IBCA, which was launched globally in April 2023.
Its aim is the conservation of seven big cats -- tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas. India has been chosen by consensus as the IBCA headquarters.
The organisation's membership is open to all UN countries harbouring these species and other countries where these species are not found, but are interested to support big cat conservation.
The Ministry announced that the IBCA has become a global organisation after a legal minimum of countries deposited the ratified Framework Agreement with the depository in New Delhi.
"The IBCA envisages synergy through a collaborative platform for increased dissemination of gold standard big cat conservation practices, provides access to technical know-how and strengthens protection in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change," India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said on this occasion. (ANI/WAM)