November 05, 2001

    Global Tiger Forum (GTF) is organising an International Symposium on tiger from 6^th to 8^th November 2001, which will be followed by its 2^nd General Assembly from 8^th to 10^th November 2001. The meeting will take place at SCOPE Complex (Conventional Centre) on these 5 days.

    The Inaugural Programme of the conference will take place on 6^th November 2001, at SCOPE Convention Centre (opposite CGO Complex), between 10.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. Mr. Shajahan Siraj, Minister, Environment and Forests, People’s Republic of Bangladesh and Chairman of the GTF, will preside over the programme.

    12 Tiger Range countries, 2 International-Inter Governmental bodies, about a dozen International NGOs and at least 2 Non-Tiger Range Countries, covering a minimum of 40 (forty) International delegates are likely to participate in the said conference and General Assembly. This will also be attended by 40 participants from India, both officials and NGOs. Senior officials from United Nations Environment Programme will also attend the conference.

    The conference will discuss issues like: (a) Assessment of tiger population and its prey base, (b) Conservation of habitat of tiger (c) Human resource development for scientific management of tiger, (d) Addressing issues of tiger-human conflict, (e) Control of poaching and illegal trade (f) International co-operation (g) Research and monitoring for tiger population, its ecology and habitat, and (h) Financial support for tiger conservation.

    The last three major International Tiger Conferences were held at Dallas, Texas, USA, in February 1998, the Millennium Tiger Conference at New Delhi in March 1999 and Ist General Assembly of GTF at Dhaka, Bangladesh, in January 2000. The present conference will take stock of the issues recommended in these three conferences on the items listed above and suggest ways and means to plug the deficiencies observed in the last three years to secure the future of the wild tiger world over.