Framework Agreement on International Big Cat Alliance come into Force

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative, the International Big Cat Alliance has finally come into force on 23rd January 2025. This information was given by the National Tiger Conservation Authority recently.

The initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 April 2023 in Mysuru, Karnataka, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger. With the ratification of the treaty by 27 countries the International Big Cat Alliance has become an inter-governmental international organisation and a legal entity.

The alliance aims to include 96 big cat range countries and non-range countries interested in big cat conservation.

Depository of the Framework Agreement on International Big Cat Alliance 

The government of India is the Depository of the Framework Agreement on the International Big Cat Alliance. Framework Agreement refers to a legally binding treaty that establishes broad commitments for its parties. 

Thus the countries that want to join the International Big Cat Alliance have to sign the Framework Agreement which mentions the terms and conditions of joining and get it approved by a competent legal authority in its country.

Since the Secretariat of the International Big Alliance is in India, the countries after ratifying /approving the Framework Agreement have to give it to India, 

Here the Depository means the Agreement has to be deposited with the country where the Secretariat is situated.

Recently  Nicaragua, Eswatini, Somalia, Liberia, and India have approved and deposited the Framework Agreement.

As of now, 27 countries are members of the International Big Cat Alliance.

Many national/ international organisations working in the field of wildlife conservation are partners of the International Big Cat Alliance.

Aim of the International Big Cat Alliance

The International Big Cat Alliance aims to work for the protection and conservation of the Big Cats, reverse the decline in their population, and restore their habitats.

The Big Cats are Tiger (Panthera tigris),Lion (Panthera leo),Jaguar (Panthera onca),Leopard (Panthera pardus),Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia), Puma (Puma concolor) and Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).

In India, Puma and Jaguar are not found. Cheetah was declared an extinct species in 1952 but the government has launched an ambitious programme to resettle the African cheetahs in the  Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.