Why in news? India has proposed launching a mega global coalition under its leadership to protect the big cats

Highlights

• India has pledged support of $100 million in guaranteed funding over five years.
• IBCA will focus on the rehabilitation and conservation of the seven big cats namely tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, pumas, jaguars and chives.
• Membership in the alliance is open to 97 “range” countries that have natural habitats for these big cats and other countries of interest and international organisations.
• India is the only country in the world with tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards and chives in the wild except pumas and jaguars.
• The mission is to provide a platform for disseminating information on “standardised practices, capacity building, resource pooling, research and development, awareness generation” on big cat conservation.
• Its main activities would include “law, partnership, knowledge e-portal, capacity building, eco-tourism and partnership between expert groups and financial scarcity”.

Governance structure

• The administrative structure is expected to consist of IBCA comprising all Member States, a Council of at least seven members elected by the General Assembly for five-year terms, but not more than 15 Member States, and a Secretariat.
• On the recommendation of the Council, the General Assembly shall appoint the IBCA secretary general for a fixed term.

Funding

• After the first five years, IBCA is expected to sustain itself through membership fees and contributions from bilateral and multilateral organisations and the private sector.