Vienna, 7 May 2025 – The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) is pleased to announce the release of its latest organisational brochure, published in March 2025. This comprehensive publication offers a detailed look at the CIC’s global conservation efforts, strategic vision, and rich history — reaffirming its role as a leading advocate for sustainable wildlife use.
With more than 1,900 members in over 80 countries — including 29 State Members and over 90 NGOs — the CIC operates as an internationally recognised body with observer status at key multilateral environmental agreements, such as CITES, CBD, CMS, and Ramsar.
A Legacy of Leadership
Founded in 1930 in Paris, the CIC emerged from a wave of international cooperation following the First World War. Inspired by the 1910 Vienna International Hunting Exhibition and the vision of Count Louis Károlyi of Hungary and French lawyer Maxime Ducrocq, the CIC was established to elevate hunting as a tool for conservation. Its founding assembly brought together 121 delegates from 23 countries, including representatives received by French President Gaston Doumergue at the Elysée Palace.
The new brochure outlines this history, including early influence by figures such as Kermit Roosevelt and Harold Jefferson Coolidge Jr., and traces CIC’s legacy through landmark contributions to global conservation, from co-founding the IUCN to shaping the Addis Ababa Principles on Sustainable Use under the CBD.
Strategic Priorities for 2030
The CIC 2030 Strategic Plan anchors the organisation’s future work in four interconnected pillars:
-
Biodiversity Conservation through Applied Science
-
Policy Leadership for Sustainable Use
-
Cultural Heritage and Nature-Based Leadership
-
Inspiring Global Support for Hunting-Led Conservation
These pillars underpin the CIC’s field projects, international policy work, and cultural engagement — all detailed in the brochure. The publication also highlights the work of its three core Divisions (Policy & Law, Applied Science, and Culture) and three Working Groups (Young Opinion, Artemis, and Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities).
Modern Impact
From the Flying Vets Mongolia initiative to the LECA large carnivore conservation project, the CIC’s approach blends science, policy, and local knowledge. It also details the CIC Trophy Evaluation System (TES), a cornerstone of ethical hunting and wildlife monitoring since the 1930s, now fully digitalised.
The brochure further explores CIC’s advocacy on sustainable use, public communications, and strategic partnerships with entities such as the IUCN, UNESCO, and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
Through the support of donors and initiatives such as Club 200, the CIC continues to pioneer innovative conservation financing and global engagement.
A Global Voice for Sustainable Use
President Dr Philipp Harmer remarks in the foreword:
“Conservation through sustainable use builds a better future for all of us. Now more than ever, your support and engagement are essential in ensuring that this principle thrives in a rapidly changing world.”
Printed in March 2025, the new brochure is available in digital and print formats, serving as both a strategic reference and a visual expression of the CIC’s enduring commitment to conservation, culture, and science.
Media Contact:
Tristan Breijer MBA FRGS FRSA MCIJ
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
CIC – International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +44 781 408 7423
Website: www.cic-wildlife.org
