CIC - The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation

29/05/2026

Behind every resolution and every scientific session, there are moments like these. 🤝

The CIC General Assembly is not just a conference. It is a gathering of people who share a passion — hunters, conservationists, scientists, and friends from across the world, united by a common cause. 🌍

Vienna 2026 brought together 700 delegates from 42 countries. And whilst the debates were serious and the resolutions landmark, moments like these remind us why it all matters.

We celebrate contributions. We honour dedication. And we build friendships that cross every border, language, and culture. 🌿

This is what it means to convene the world.

72nd CIC General Assembly | Vienna, April 2026

Community Friendship Vienna CICWildlife Biodiversity SustainableUse

27/05/2026

🎬 A look back at Vienna 2026 — and forward to what comes next.

The 72nd CIC General Assembly brought together ministers, scientists, hunters, and conservation leaders from 42 countries for four extraordinary days in the Austrian capital. A new President elected. A landmark resolution adopted. 700 delegates united around one conviction — that wildlife has a future, and sustainable use is how we secure it.

As we reflect on the highlights of Vienna, we are already looking ahead to Hamburg. 🇩🇪

73rd CIC General Assembly | Hamburg | 8–11 April 2027

Save the date. 📅

SustainableUse Hunting Biodiversity Vienna Hamburg Wildlife CICWildlife 🌿

21/05/2026

🎬 Vienna. April 2026. One extraordinary day 🇦🇹

700 delegates. 42 countries. A former Chancellor of Austria. Government ministers from three continents. Scientists, hunters, conservationists, and policymakers — all under one roof, all united by one conviction: that wildlife has a future, and sustainable use is how we secure it.

This is what the 72nd CIC General Assembly looked like. 🌿

72nd CIC General Assembly | Vienna, April 2026

Hunting Biodiversity Vienna Austria Wildlife CICWildlife

19/05/2026

🥁🌿 700 people. One march. One message.

On 17 April, the streets of Vienna fell silent as delegates from 42 countries walked through the heart of the Austrian capital — led by the historic Original Hoch- und Deutschmeister marching band — to St. Stephen’s Cathedral for the traditional Hunters’ Mass.

Presided over by Bishop Alois Schwarz and Superintendent Mag. Dr. Matthias Geist, the service was a solemn reminder that the conservation of wildlife and wild places is rooted in something deeper than policy. It is a calling. A responsibility. A tradition passed from generation to generation. 🕊️

This was the March for Conservation. And this is why we do what we do.

72nd CIC General Assembly | Vienna, April 2026

StStephensCathedral Conservation WildlifeEconomy Hunting Biodiversity CICWildlife Austria 🇦🇹

14/05/2026

🇦🇹 At the 72nd CIC General Assembly in Vienna, Austria’s Federal Minister for Agriculture Norbert Totschnig addressed 700 delegates from 42 countries on hunting’s role in biodiversity, sustainable land use, and rural communities.
His message was direct:

💬 “As an integral part of all my considerations and actions is the contribution of hunting to biodiversity and species protection, as a form of sustainable land use and to the strengthening of rural areas.”

And on the critical link between hunting and climate adaptation:

💬 “Without hunting, adapting our forests to climate change would not be possible.”

Watch the full address in the video below. 👇

| Bundesministerium für Land- & Forstwirtschaft, Klima- & Umweltschutz, Regionen & Wasserwirtschaft

🌿 Austria Hunting Biodiversity Agriculture

05/05/2026

🌍 CIC May Newsletter: A Record General Assembly in Vienna | Global Policy and Conservation Updates -

The 72nd CIC General Assembly in Vienna has concluded, and by any measure, it was a landmark gathering. More than 700 participants joined ministers, diplomats, policymakers, scientists, and conservation leaders from across four continents and 43 countries under the theme of the Wildlife Economy, mak...

30/04/2026

🎙️ Vienna, April 2026.

As our 72nd General Assembly concluded, we sat down with outgoing CIC President Dr. Philipp Harmer.

A lifetime of hunting. Two terms leading the CIC. And a legacy built on one simple conviction — that those who love nature most are best placed to protect it.

💬 “Never give up. It is an honourable cause to fight for the conservation of nature through sustainable use.”

Thank you, Dr. Philipp Harmer, for your outstanding service to the CIC and to conservation worldwide. 🌿

72nd CIC General Assembly | Vienna, April 2026

Hunting Biodiversity Wildlife Leadership

29/04/2026

🎙️ Vienna, April 2026.

At the 72nd CIC General Assembly, we hosted a press conference with journalists from across Europe, joined by Doña Ana Rodríguez Castaño, Secretary General for Agricultural Resources and Food Security at Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, and incoming CIC President Luis de la Peña.

Doña Ana was clear on the importance of dialogue between governments and the hunting community:

💬 “My obligation is to listen and speak. Not to always agree, but to sit and speak so you understand it.”

Luis de la Peña set out his vision for the CIC:

💬 “We need to give the battle for public perception. Our speech needs to be explained with facts, with science, with sustainability measures.”

Conservation requires governments, communities, and hunters at the same table. 🌿

72nd CIC General Assembly | Vienna, April 2026

SustainableUse Hunting Biodiversity Wildlife Spain

28/04/2026

700 people. 42 Countries. One message. 🌿

On 17 April, 700 delegates and supporters took part in the March for Conservation through the heart of Vienna, led by the historic Original Hoch- und Deutschmeister marching band, converging on one of Europe’s most iconic landmarks — St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

There, Bishop Alois Schwarz and Superintendent Mag. Dr. Matthias Geist presided over our traditional Hunters’ Mass — a powerful reminder that the conservation of wildlife and wild places is not merely a scientific or political endeavour. It is a calling rooted in stewardship, responsibility, and respect for the natural world that sustains us all. 🕊️

For the CIC community, this was more than a ceremony. It was a statement — that those who live closest to nature, who hunt, manage, and protect it, stand united in their commitment to its future.

72nd CIC General Assembly | Vienna, April 2026
WildlifeEconomy Conservation CICVienna2026 HuntingHeritage CICGeneralAssembly

30/01/2026

🌍 CIC January Newsletter: Looking Ahead to Vienna -

As January comes to a close, the CIC reflects on a busy start to the year as preparations continue for the 72nd CIC General Assembly in Vienna this April. We already have record attendance and expect over 500 guests, and we encourage members and partners to register as soon as possible, as capacity....