The muriqui is the largest mammal endemic to Brazil, one of two primate genera endemic to the country and the largest non-human primate of the Americas. The two taxa in the genus Brachyteles are among the 35 most critically endangered primates on earth. Along with the lion tamarins, this species was primarily responsible in the late 1970s and early 1980s for putting the until then overlooked Atlantic forest region of Brazil at the top of the global priority list for biodiversity conservation, to the point that it is now considered one of the top five threatened biodiversity hotspots on Earth. Indeed, early work on the muriqui (and the lion tamarins), basic research, conservation efforts and public awareness campaigns are a classic example of use of a flagship primate to stimulate major international activity on behalf of a globally important eco-region.

In spite of this past success and the great future potential that this genus has for conservation in Brazil, it remains relatively unrealized. Indeed, in recent years, the main focus of muriqui conservation has been on research in Caratinga and a few other areas (which has served to further emphasize the uniqueness of the genus Brachyteles), with relatively little use nationally and even less internationally, of the muriquis as symbols for conservation efforts.

Recognizing the importance of the muriqui to conservation in Brazil, Fundação Biodiversitas, Conservation International - Brazil and Ibama, in collaboration with the Primate Specialist Group and the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (SSC/IUCN), hosted a Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) workshop 23-26 May 1998 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The goal of the workshop was to produce a collaborative and systematic conservation assessment for the muriqui.