The International Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Forum has opened in Bishkek, capital of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. It is being attended by delegates of the governments and nature protection agencies from 12 snow leopard range countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The decision to hold the forum in Bishkek was taken at the UN climate change conference in 2015.

The forum’s agenda includes working and expert meetings, presentations, scientific expositions and photo exhibitions, as well as a high-level meeting the purpose of which is to promote investment in environmental snow leopard projects in Asian mountains. The participants will also review and adopt the 2017 Bishkek Declaration, which will incorporate key items from the snow leopard conservation programme that is designed to increase the population of this rare cat.

The first Snow Leopard Forum was held back in 2013. Its participants adopted the Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP) and approved the establishment of 20 snow leopard landscapes across Asia by 2020. The forum was initiated by President Almazbek Atambayev of the Kyrgyz Republic. It is organised by the State Agency for Environment Protection and Forestry of Kyrgyzstan and the GSLEP Secretariat.