The Sixth IUCN World Parks Congress, which opened in Sydney, Australia, on 12 November, has addressed, among other issues, the conservation of Russia’s wild cats, including the snow leopard, the Amur tiger, and the Far Eastern leopard. Gennady Kiselyov, director of the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve, and Irina Sannikova, deputy director of the Khakassky Nature Reserve, will speak at the forum about the ongoing programmes to research and conserve the snow leopard in Russia.

The congress will feature plenary sessions, roundtables, exhibitions, and working meetings devoted to the conservation of the world’s natural heritage. It is the largest and most influential international forum on protected areas, with over 5,000 people from 160 countries attending in 2014.

Russia’s wildlife conservation programme is represented by an exhibition at the Sydney Olympic Park’s central pavilion. Considering the international importance of Russian nature reserves, congress organisers have dedicated several sessions to Russian topics. In particular, roundtables and discussions will be held on: the conservation of wild cats in Russia, the treasures of Kamchatka and Baikal, transborder parks, the conservation of cultural landscapes in national parks, and the development of marine parks.

The main organiser of the Sixth IUCN World Parks Congress is the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). This year’s congress will take place on 12-19 November in Sydney, Australia. Past hosts include South Africa in 2003 and Venezuela in 1992.