The 41st assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is held in Montreal for the first time after the pandemic with a large number of authorities present.
Some 2,000 ministers and high-ranking government officials from 167 States gathered today in person and virtually at the Montreal headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the launch of the United Nations aviation agency’s 41st Assembly. United Nations. , the first since the COVID-19 outbreak.
They were joined by hundreds of participants, observers and media attending the Hybrid Assembly for the first time, which will run through October 7 with a key focus on the themes of aviation innovation and resilience, underpinning the continued sustainability of the air transport sector.
ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano opened the ten-day event, which was joined on the occasion by the Mayor of ICAO’s host city Montreal, Madame Valerie Plante, the Vice Minister of International Relations and the Francophonie of the Province of Québec, Madame Sylvie Barcelo, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Canada, the Honorable Mélanie Joly.
In his opening address to the convened world air transport leaders, including States, NGOs, regional organizations and global air transport industry associations, President Sciacchitano highlighted how ICAO has played a critical role in supporting the “safe, secure, protected and sustainable international air transport”. air transport”, and highlighted how aviation serves as a fundamental facilitator of the “social, economic and cultural development of countries through mobility and connectivity”.
ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar also addressed the Heads of Delegation present, stressing that the last three years have had a «critical impact» on the aviation sector, and that the event should focus on priority areas which include “the recovery and sustainability of air transport, agreements on CO2 emission reduction goals and the policy to support the implementation and transformation objective of ICAO to better serve its Member States”.
ICAO Assemblies take place once every three years, and this year’s top priorities have been largely driven by two recent ministerial conferences hosted by the UN agency.
The last of these was held in July to drive consensus on the need for a new long-term global goal for the decarbonisation of international air transport, while the previous conference forged agreement on post-COVID-19 priorities. that countries pursue through ICAO to improve recovery and resilience of the air transport system.
On the topic of eliminating carbon emissions from aviation, President Sciacchitano emphasized to the assembled States that «mere aspirations are no longer enough when it comes to our climate, the well-being of our planet and all its species.» , urging them to unite for the next ten days in a new Net-Zero goal.
On post-pandemic recovery, he emphasized that States and ICAO “cannot become complacent about the risk of future pandemics just because the latter is now receding,” noting that this perspective must inform the many decisions that will come their way. to the states. on the resilience of air transport in the coming decades.
Innovation is seen as key to how international flights will achieve these two goals, and as a result, States will decide on far-reaching priorities at the 41st Assembly regarding how passengers experience digitization, new aircraft and propulsion technologies, developments in sustainable aviation fuels, and many other ongoing advances may contribute to improving the environmental and operational sustainability of aviation for decades to come.
President Sciacchitano recognized the importance of aviation becoming more efficient by incorporating state-of-the-art solutions, noting that “As international standard setters, we play a key role in evaluating and enabling new technologies, and in developing strategies for global collaboration and goals to achieve evolutionary changes in civilian life. aviation.»
As with all ICAO Assemblies, the 193 States signatory to the Chicago Convention will work together at the 41st Session to agree on a new three-year work program and budget for ICAO, as well as to elect the 36 countries that will form part of the Governing Council of the Organization for the period 2023-2025.
In a remarkable turnaround during a period when gender equality in aviation remains a prominent goal among government and industry stakeholders, delegates to the 41st Assembly elected its first female president, the Director General of South African Civil Aviation, Ms. Poppy Khoza.
Ms. Khoza will manage and facilitate event diplomacy and efficient decision-making on the key issues currently before States, as well as their review and adoption of new editions of the Global Aviation Safety Plans and ICAO air navigation capacity and efficiency, the evolution of ICAO safety and security oversight audit programmes, and the enhancement of ICAO implementation support provided to States.
Additional topics for States’ consideration will focus on integrating unmanned aircraft systems into traditional aviation airspace, reopening air tourism markets, and overcoming protectionist restrictions to allow operators to airlines recover quickly from COVID-19, digital travel documents and the deployment of interoperable health certificates through ICAO verification, and many other issues related to future sector resilience and passenger safety and comfort.
President Sciacchitano concluded his remarks by emphasizing that everyone has a vested interest in the outcomes States would achieve together at the 41st ICAO Assembly, including the potential for achieving environmentally sustainable international civil aviation and economic.
He emphasized in this context that «when humanity faces challenges on a truly global scale, as it undoubtedly is today, there is an expectation that aviation will be at the forefront of our collective global response.