International Tiger Conservation Forum, St. Petersburg

The Summit

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the Government of the Russian Federation are hosting the International Forum for Tiger Conservation in St. Petersburg November 21-24, 2010, during the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Lunar Calendar.

With recognition that the crisis facing tigers in the wild spans across the whole continent of Asia and Russian Far East, and represents a larger threat to the biological diversity on the planet, 13 Tiger Range Countries* and a coalition of international organizations and advocates for tiger conservation convene here in this “city of ideas” to endorse and activate a global program with highest level political support to revive and recover populations of this majestic species. The Summit brings together, for the first time, leaders of the governments of Tiger Range Countries and international community, who have built a comprehensive, multilateral Global Tiger Recovery Program and who envision doubling the number of wild tigers worldwide in time for the next Year of the Tiger, 2022.

Purpose

The Tiger Summit is the culmination of work and negotiations by the Tiger Range Countries and the Global Tiger Initiative to systematically address the range-wide problem of declining numbers of tigers in the wild and increasingly real threat of extinction. In St. Petersburg, the leaders of Tiger Range Country Governments and global partners will formally endorse a plan that spells out necessary policy and financial commitments and systems for implementation and monitoring. The Summit marks a turning point in efforts to save wild tigers as part of our common heritage, and represents an important opportunity to spark new energy into international efforts to protect and preserve Earth’s increasingly threatened wildlife and biological diversity.

Who will be there?

Leaders and delegations of the Governments of Tiger Range Countries, heads of major international organizations, including bilateral and multilateral donor organizations such as the World Bank, highly renowned scientists, experts, and advocates of the wildlife conservation and biodiversity community, and captains of industry and the private sector will congregate for the high-level and technical sessions, while celebrities, musicians, and young people from around the world will celebrate wildlife and the tiger with a concert and cultural fair in the heart of St. Petersburg.

Role of the Russian Federation

In addition to hosting the Summit, the Government of Russia is a tireless proponent of saving the Amur Tiger (Siberian Tiger) in its native habitat in the Russian Far East. The global program to double populations of wild tigers includes Russia’s National Tiger Recovery Program, which focuses on anti-poaching efforts, non-invasive population monitoring, and increasing public awareness and support through educational programs. Prime Minister Putin has taken a personal interest in conserving the Amur Tiger subspecies in Siberia, where an estimated 450 tigers inhabit a vast area of birch forests, including the border region between Russia and northeastern China.

* People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Kingdom of Bhutan, Kingdom of Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Union of Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation, Kingdom of Thailand, and Socialist Republic of Vietnam

View the International Forum for Tiger Conservation website.

Click here to read the story and view the President Zoellick’s video message on the World Bank Web site.