The 9th meeting of the GSLEP (Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme) Steering Committee was held on 5−6 June in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. The event brought together over 140 delegates, including representatives of government and public organisations from Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
The official delegation of the Russian Federation presented reports on the status of the snow leopard population in Russia. The delegation included specialists from the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Ali Uzdenov (Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the "Irbis" Association), Daria Petrova (Director of the "Irbis" Association), the Director of the Sailugemsky National Park, and other officials.
Over two days, representatives from the GSLEP countries shared the results of national and cross-border initiatives for snow leopard conservation, including community engagement, climate change adaptation, and population monitoring. On the second day of the meeting, the organisers officially announced that the "Irbis" Association had been formally accepted into the list of participants of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP), marking the Association’s entry onto the international stage.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Chairman of the General Assembly of the Association, Ali Uzdenov, held meetings with the Minister of Natural Resources of Kyrgyzstan and officials from other snow leopard range states, where the parties agreed on future cooperation and joint conservation projects.
When the "Irbis" Association was first established in 2021 through the initiative of its founder, Ali Uzdenov, we could scarcely have imagined that just a few years later, we would take our place among the world’s most prominent conservation organisations. This professional success would have been impossible without the help of our partners, supporters, and colleagues.
The "Irbis" Association team is grateful to Kyrgyzstan for its warm and heartfelt hospitality and for the excellent organisation of the GSLEP meeting. We thank them for the trust placed in us and are ready to continue our work for the benefit of snow leopard conservation.
Background Information:
GSLEP (Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Programme) is the largest and most pivotal large-scale initiative, uniting governments, businesses, NGOs, and local communities for the conservation of the snow leopard and its habitats.