Under the title 'Gentle Giants in need” 160 government officials, experts, corporate representatives and conservationists from 20 countries attended a conference in Frankfurt, 9-10 June to mark the Year of the Gorilla. In the “Frankfurt Declaration” they highlighted major threats to gorillas and their habitats, as well as the strategies available for the conservation of the second closest relative to humankind.

In the Declaration delegates appeal to governments, the international community and industrial companies to enhance activities to reduce threats to the remaining gorilla populations in the wild, which can contribute to peace and prosperity in Central Africa.

To proceed to the Frankfurt Declaration (English version), click here.

To view the German version, click here.

French version.

Spanish version.

For the detailed meeting report, click here.

For the list of attendees lending their support to the Declaration, click here.

While the Declaration is not legally binding, it does signal the intent of all those present. The key is for everyone to know that its implementation depends to a great extent on the individuals and organizations that were in Frankfurt - success will be determined by the degree to which participants feel a sense of ownership of the document. It's up to each to use the Declaration as best we can to raise awareness and funds and to move range state governments, donor agencies and others to take concrete action.

Government representatives must promote the Declaration within their own governments. The German government, who was the main organizer of the Frankfurt event, is very active (e.g. through the Life Web and International Climate Initiatives) to reduce deforestation in the tropics, so the possibility exists for prioritisation of great ape habitat in this context and in the context of developmental aid. Once translated into French, the Declaration will also be spread to appropriate ministers, logging companies and others in the frrancophone gorilla range states.

The CMS will make sure the Declaration plays a guiding role in the future development of the CMS Gorilla Agreement. We rely on NGO representatives to promote the Declaration to a wider audience and ask them to make it the basis of guidelines for their gorilla conservation work. So too can zoos and the many individuals who are enthusiastic about gorilla conservation.

To keep track of how and by whom the Declaration is used and promoted and to prevent it from becoming 'just another declaration' , we would like to ask you to send us information on any actions taken in response to the Declaration. They will be presented in an organized way on this website. Send your action to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .