The CIC
The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) is a non-profit, international NGO that advocates for biodiversity conservation through the sustainable use of wildlife resources.
It is among the oldest conservation organisations in the world, with the organisation currently representing 27 government bodies within its 1,800+ strong membership. Today, the CIC is active in over 80 countries.
Mission
To promote and support the conservation of wildlife and related landscapes, local communities, and traditions through sustainable use including hunting.
Vision
A world where wildlife is valued and conserved as part of nature for the benefit of humanity.
Priority Areas
The CIC is engaged in a number of key work areas to carry out its vision and mission. In 2022, the CIC updated its Statutes, leading the way for the organisation to contribute towards broader sustainable development goals as part of its ongoing work in biodiversity conservation.
- Promoting and supporting the conservation of nature – its habitats and species – through the sustainable use of wild biological resources, including hunting
- Worldwide dissemination of knowledge on nature conservation through sustainable use
- Enhancing the public’s understanding of nature and natural processes with a special emphasis on youth
- Furthering scientific and academic research in the field of wildlife biology and the management of wildlife populations
- Safeguarding local customs in connection with wildlife management and their irreplaceable contributions to tangible and intangible natural and cultural heritage
- Promoting the importance of wildlife managers as necessary in building and maintaining healthy ecosystems in achieving the principles of “One Health”
- Giving a voice to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) while supporting their inclusion in multi-lateral environmental decision-making
- Improving the habitats of wildlife through rewilding and ecosystem restoration, such as through supporting the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
Our Work
- Recognition as an International Inter-Governmental Observer Organisation at United Nations Environmental Conventions (AEWA, Bern Convention, CBD, CITES, CMS) – and a member of IUCN – allowing the CIC to give interventions on the development of critical wildlife management policies
- The establishment of the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW), a cooperation platform bringing together organisations working in different aspects of wildlife management (food security, animal-human health, wildlife trade, wildlife species and habitat conservation, etc.)
- Providing a voice to indigenous peoples and local communities at events and press conferences, as well as facilitating their inclusion in multilateral environmental decision-making
- Joint projects with renowned international organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
- Providing technical wildlife management expertise at the state level
- Promoting game meat as a sustainable and healthy alternative to factory farmed animal products. This includes the publication of the “CIC World Game Cookbook,” a collection of game meat recipes from around the world – with the aim of introducing wild game and the concept of the value chain to broader audiences in an accessible manner
- Supporting and contributing towards hunting culture (art, falconry, traditions, etc) and the recognition of hunting and sustainable use as of form of intangible cultural heritage