The first International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit, which was scheduled to be held on June 1 in New Delhi, will now be held at a later date, the Union environment ministry said on Thursday.
“The First International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit was scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 1st June 2026. It was being organised in conjunction with the Fourth India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS IV) as several African countries host big cats and are important partners in global efforts towards conservation, ecological sustainability and biodiversity protection,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Following the decision taken in consultation with the chairperson of the African Union and the African Union Commission to convene the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit at a later date, it has been decided that, in order to ensure broad and active participation from all range countries, including African countries, the First IBCA Summit too will be convened at a later date,” the statement added.
New dates for the summit will be announced in due course following consultations with participating countries and stakeholders.
“India remains firmly committed to working with all partners to advance the shared objectives of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development,” the statement said.
Around 13 heads of state were expected to make statements on the status of big cat conservation, which would include sharing national experiences and priorities. Officials were also expecting member countries to adopt the first-ever “Delhi Declaration on Big Cat Conservation”.
HT reported on May 6 that a key outcome of the Global Big Cat Summit, to be hosted by the International Big Cat Alliance on June 1 and 2, will be the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Big Cat Conservation — a unified global commitment that will articulate shared priorities, strengthen transboundary cooperation, and promote a landscape-based approach for conserving big cats and their habitats, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said.
He also launched the website and logo for the 1st International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026.
The upcoming IBCA Summit in June will bring together heads of state/government, experts and partners from across the world to deliberate on the future of big cat conservation. “The Summit is strategically significant as it will strengthen international partnerships, promote South–South cooperation, and inspire collective action across big cat range countries. It will also help align conservation efforts with global biodiversity and climate goals,” he had added.
The IBCA was established by the Government of India in 2024 through its nodal organisation, the National Tiger Conservation Authority, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The primary objective of the IBCA is to facilitate collaboration and synergy among range countries and other stakeholders. The IBCA was launched for the conservation of tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and pumas. It provides membership to all United Nations member states, including range countries harbouring these species, as well as non-range countries interested in supporting big cat conservation.
