Significant step, says Bhupender Yadav on IBCA getting privileges given to UN agencies
New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Friday said the Centre has issued the Gazette Notification extending privileges and immunities to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), which is a significant step reaffirming India’s steadfast commitment to strengthening international cooperation for big cat conservation.
With this, IBCA, its officials, and representatives in India will enjoy privileges and legal safeguards typically granted to United Nations organisations, according to a gazette notification.
Taking to social media, Minister Yadav welcomed the move and said that he was glad to share this information.
“The Government of India has issued the Gazette Notification extending privileges and immunities to the International Big Cat Alliance, its representatives, and officials under the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947. The significant step reaffirms India’s steadfast commitment to strengthening international cooperation for big cat conservation,” said Yadav.
He said the conservation of big cats is also instrumental in preserving and protecting their ecosystems and hence the well-being of our Planet.
“With these privileges and immunities, IBCA gets the necessary empowerment to function effectively as a global platform to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and capacity building for the conservation of our big cats worldwide,’ he added.
The gazette notification said the Government of India signed the Host Country Agreement with the International Big Cat Alliance(IBCA) on April 17 for establishing the International Big Cat Alliance(IBCA) in India.
It said, “…the Central Government considers it expedient to extend the necessary privileges and immunities provided under the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947 (46 of 1947) to the International Big Cat Alliance, its representatives and officials in accordance with Article X of the above mentioned Host Country Agreement,” the notification reads.
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947 (46 of 1947), the Central government has declared that “the provisions of section 1 of Article I, provisions under Article II, section 9 of Article III, sections 18 and 20 of Article V and sections 22 and 23 of Article VI of the Schedule to the said Act shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the International Big Cat Alliance, its representatives and officials”.
IBCA is an India-led intergovernmental organisation formed to support the conservation of the world’s seven principal big cat species — tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma — by facilitating international cooperation and sharing best practices and technical know-how. It became a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation in February 2025, upon ratification by India, Nicaragua, Eswatini, Somalia, and Liberia.
It was officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 9, 2023, during celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger in Mysuru. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav was elected as the first President of IBCA.
The primary objective of IBCA is to facilitate collaboration and synergy amongst range countries and other stakeholders, consolidating successful conservation practices and expertise to achieve a common goal of conservation of big cats at the global level. This unified approach, bolstered by financial support, aims to boost the biodiversity conservation agenda, halt the decline in big cat populations, and conserve ecology.
–IANS
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