IBCA Choose India to Build its Headquarters
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), an intergovernmental wildlife organization, has officially chosen India as the location of its headquarters.
Today, the Indian government and the IBCA signed a Headquarters Agreement. The first Director General of IBCA, Dr. S.P. Yadav, and P. Kumaran, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), signed the agreement.
To support the goals of the organization, this agreement formally establishes the IBCA headquarters in India and specifies how visas, privileges, and immunities would be granted to the IBCA Secretariat, its employees, facilities, and other organizations.
On April 9, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the IBCA at the 'Commemorating 50 Years of Project Tiger' ceremony in Mysuru.
To preserve seven species of big cats and restore their habitats in the nations where they are found, the program seeks to fortify international conservation efforts and foster collaborations among stakeholders.
The conservation of the seven big cat species—the tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma—around the world is the main goal of the IBCA.
Prior to this, on February 29, 2024, Prime Minister Modi's Union Cabinet authorized the creation of the IBCA, which would have its main office in India.
The project was given Rs.150 crore in one-time funding for five years, from 2023–2024 to 2027–2028.
After the MEA verified that five nations—Nicaragua, Eswatini, India, Somalia, and Liberia—had signed the Framework Agreement to legally join the IBCA, the organization officially became a legal body on January 23, 2025.
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The IBCA has worked with many national and international animal conservation organizations, and 27 countries, including India, have consented to join, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority.