Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder and head of IDEA, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the critical role of conserving endangered species in preserving global ecosystems and biodiversity. She highlighted the urgent need for international solidarity and collaboration to combat species extinction, describing it as a pressing global challenge.
Participants were briefed on the rich biodiversity of the South Caucasus, including the extinction of several species unique to the region.
Leyla Aliyeva outlined IDEA’s initiatives since 2011, focusing on efforts to protect and restore rare and endemic animal and plant species. She highlighted the “Caucasus Big Five” project, launched in 2012 in collaboration with IUCN, which prioritizes safeguarding the Caucasian leopard, gazelle, brown bear, grey wolf, and imperial eagle.
She also discussed IDEA’s reintroduction programs, including the restoration of the European bison population in Azerbaijan. Since 2017, 46 bison have been reintroduced to Shahdag National Park from various European countries, with a goal to increase the population to 100 by 2028. Additionally, the gazelle reintroduction program has expanded the species' population in Azerbaijan to 8,000. Hundreds of thousands of sturgeons have also been released into the Caspian Sea and other water bodies across the country.
The session, moderated by Oliver Avramoski, IUCN Regional Director for Eastern Europe, North, and Central Asia, featured speakers including Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General; Jason Funk, Director of REDD+ Strategy at Conservation International; and Cathy Yitong Li, Senior Policy Manager at BirdLife International. The panelists emphasized the significance of protecting species on the IUCN Red List and advocated for collaborative, results-driven approaches to preserving global biodiversity.
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