28 March 2011: The Global Tiger Forum (GTF), Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) and India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) announced the launch of the implementation phase of the Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP) during the International Conference on Tiger Conservation and Global Workshop on GTRP Implementation. The Conference took place in New Delhi, India, from 28-30 March 2011.

At the conference, India announced its latest estimation of wild tiger numbers as well as shared best practices. Tiger range countries presented their high-priority actions for 2011, and partners from the international community outlined plans for the year ahead in support of the range countries.

Isabel Guerrero of the World Bank stressed its commitment to the implementation of the first year of the program. She highlighted that the GTRP’s innovations include empowerment, accountability and transparency, and ownership. Emphasizing implementation, she said that alignment of incentives is essential, as is including civil society and all stakeholders. She concluded that implementation cannot succeed with a top-down structure and that it needs “institutions that are open to communities, with the right culture and motivated front line foresters that can be part of finding solutions as the challenges emerge.” [GTI Press Release] [World Bank Press Release]