The inaugural International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit, to be held here from June 1 to 3, is expected to adopt the first-ever global declaration on big cat conservation, titled the ‘Delhi Declaration’, which will articulate shared priorities, strengthen transboundary cooperation, and promote a landscape-based approach for conserving big cats and their habitats.

Representatives from 95 countries are expected to participate, the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change said on Wednesday (May 6, 2026).

The IBCA is an association of countries that host, or have itinerant populations of, at least one of the seven ‘big cats’ — lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, and pumas — and are committed to the conservation of these animals.

Collective action

There are 24 member countries, three observer countries, and several other ‘range’ countries in the alliance. Member countries are expected to coordinate action through programmes and activities aimed at improving the state of habitats, prey, and big cats, including big cat protection and conservation, innovation, research, development, and capacity building. They also share relevant information about big cat protection and conservation programmes.

Summit participants are likely to include heads of State/Government of member and observer countries, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yada said on Wednesday, at an event to launch the summit website and unveil its logo. The summit will be guided by the theme, ‘Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem’, and will bring together over 400 conservationists, policymakers, scientists, multilateral agencies, financial institutions, corporate leaders, and community representatives from across the globe.

The IBCA, piloted and conceived by India, was officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023. The alliance, Mr. Yadav said, reflects India’s belief that conservation challenges must be addressed “collectively” through cooperation, knowledge sharing, and mutual support.