‘Vanishing Icons’ and Growing Partnerships on Display at World Bank

President Robert B. Zoellick of the World Bank

Washington, DC – April 21, 2010 – On the eve of Earth Day and the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, major leaders of the Global Tiger Initiative addressed the crisis of tigers and other big cats as a weeklong capacity-building exercise concluded and a photo exhibit of ‘Vanishing Icons’ was unveiled.

The exhibit marked a new visibility for the goals of the Global Tiger Initiative, wildlife conservation, and biodiversity preservation at the headquarters of the Bank in Washington. In opening remarks, President of the World Bank Group, Robert B. Zoellick, said, “The plight of tigers casts a spotlight on the broader biodiversity challenge, for if we fail to save the tiger, its loss would be a dramatic indication of our failure to safeguard biodiversity… and support balanced development.”

Joining Zoellick were Deepak Bohara, Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation from Nepal, Editor in Chief of National Geographic magazine Chris Johns, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Wayne Clough, and CEO of the Global Environment Facility Monique Barbut.

Wild tigers on display at Vanishing Icons exhibit

Photographs of endangered tigers, leopards, lions, and cheetahs in the wild filled the World Bank Atrium as delegations from 12 tiger range countries concluded the Executive Leadership Forum, where they discussed and sharpened plans to implement a global tiger recovery program that is being built in preparation for the Tiger Summit, which will be held in Vladivostok, Russia later this year to bring vital actions to the ground in support of the endangered species. The Executive Leadership Forum is a milestone in the World Bank – Smithsonian capacity-building partnership that was launched less than a year ago.

The leaders from the 4 organizations noted the importance of conservation efforts to save the charismatic species, but also tied the tiger to a broader agenda of connecting conservation and biodiversity to sustainable development. “We are channeling resources to the Global Tiger Summit and we hope that this meeting in Vladivostok will represent a landmark opportunity to bring countries and stakeholders together to vet an ambitious plan to halt the demise of tigers in the wild. It’s time to move from words to action,” said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility.

The Vanishing Icons exhibit included exclusive images taken by world-renowned photographers, including Chris Johns, the Editor in Chief of National Geographic magazine, who spoke of his organization’s Big Cats Initiative, launched this year, and his personal encounters with animals in the field during his career as a photographer. While wild tigers are considered one of the most critically endangered land mammals, poaching and habitat degradation also increasingly affect lions and other big cats.

The exhibit continues through April 30 at the World Bank headquarters and has drawn high level attention from finance ministers and numerous country delegations visiting for the Spring Meetings.

Left to right - Keshav Varma, Program Director of GTI, World Bank, Chris Johns, Editor in Chief of National Geographic, Monique Barbut, CEO of Global Environment Facility, Wayne Clough, Secretary of Smithsonian Institution, President Zoellick, and Deepak Bohara, Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation from Nepal

Preparatory work continues for the Global Tiger Initiative partners, and raised expectations and attention are fostering hopes that political will and financial commitments will continue to evolve with support from the international community for a tiger stabilization and recovery program at the Tiger Summit in Russia later this year.

Video coverage of the event