WE, the representatives of snow leopard range countries, gathering together in Shenzhen, the People’s Republic of China, on Sept. 3-7, 2018, have discussed effective strategies for studying and conserving snow leopards and their habitats.

The snow leopard, as an icon of the natural and cultural heritage in the range countries, is at the top of the food chain in the high mountain ecosystems. The conservation of the snow leopard and its habitat holds great value in maintaining biodiversity, preserving the health of the high mountain ecosystem, as well as improving human welfare. Presently, the fragile snow leopard ecosystem is facing the challenges of climate change, habitat degradation, and loss of biodiversity. Therefore, the efforts to conserve the snow leopard and its habitat need to be continuously strengthened.

Since the endorsement of the Bishkek Declaration in 2013 followed by the launch of The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), the 12 snow leopard range countries have improved the state of knowledge about snow leopards, combatted poaching and illegal trade, established new protected areas, and provided financial and technical support for research and management of snow leopard landscapes. Under the GSLEP program, we have successfully held international forums, workshops, trainings, and outreach activities to bring together the global community to promote and strengthen snow leopard conservation efforts.

Although a lot of progress has been made to implement the Bishkek Declarations, many issues in snow leopard conservation are yet to be fully addressed.

We are determined to:

1. Make efforts to harmonize the development and conservation of the high mountain ecosystem.

2. Facilitate communication between researchers and conservationists from across the world and promote joint projects to achieve bilateral and/or multilateral cooperation including a population assessment of the world’s snow leopards.

3. Develop and implement capacity-building programs for front-line staff and other stakeholders.

4. Enhance our understanding of poaching and illegal trade issues pertaining to the snow leopard and other wildlife.

5. Broaden the scope of resource mobilization to achieve sustainable financing for snow leopard conservation programs.

6. Improve the quality of knowledge generated through the development and application of modern technologies such as UAVs, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and genetics for informed decision-making.

7. Support community-based conservation programs to create a win-win prospect of sustainable development for communities and the mountain ecosystem.

We express our deep appreciation and gratitude to the People’s Republic of China for hosting the International Conference for Snow Leopard Conservation.