ICAO forges clear agreement amongst states/industry

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) concluded its second High Level Safety Conference, during which clear strategic agreement was forged amongst states and industry.

The meeting, which was held in Montreal, Canada, was attended by over 850 participants from its member states and industry; showing strong and united support for the UN body’s short- long-term strategic planning and priorities for global aviation safety.

A statement issued by the ICAO and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday said the event forged global consensus on two particularly challenging emerging safety issues – flight tracking and conflict zone risk mitigation.

It said the event delivered clear affirmations for the objectives now being pursued in every region under the ICAO Global Aviation Safety Plan.

The statement also recognised the instrumental coordinating role being performed by ICAO’s Regional Aviation Safety Groups, and that sector-wide safety performance was a critical prerequisite for the sustainable development of air transport.

“Importantly, our member states have reinforced their collective responsibility for aviation safety at this event, and that its enhancement will only continue to be possible through co-operative, collaborative and coordinated efforts among all stakeholders under the leadership of ICAO,” said ICAO Council President, Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu.

“This is a clear testament to our ongoing mission and role and to the historic progress we have realized as a united global community,”he said.

It said as the world continued to respond to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Western Africa, the ICAO conference also stressed its recognition of the role played by aviation in responding to public health emergencies and the importance of collaboration between the aviation and public health sectors in preparedness planning and response to public health events.

With the outcomes of this conference and those of earlier conferences, ICAO and the global air transport sector its served had established a solid foundation and clear direction for aviation safety and for air navigation capacity and efficiency for some years to come, the ICAO Secretary General, Raymond Benjamin, said.