International Civil Aviation Organization holds 41st Assembly, first in post-pandemic era

30-09-22

Some 2000 ministers and senior 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 41st Assembly of the UN aviation agency. The event was the first since the outbreak of COVID-19. 

They were joined by hundreds of participants, observers and media attending for the first time the hybrid Assembly, which runs until 7 October 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, joined on the occasion by the Mayor of ICAO host city Montreal, Madame Valerie Plante, the Deputy Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie of the Province of Québec, Madame Sylvie Barcelo, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Canada, the Honourable Mélanie Joly.

In his opening address to the convened global air transport leaders, including States, NGOs, regional organisations and global industry air transport associations, President Sciacchitano highlighted how ICAO has played a key role in supporting the "safe, secure and sustainable development of international air transport". air transport", and emphasised how aviation serves as a fundamental enabler of "social, economic and cultural development of countries through mobility and connectivity".

ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar also addressed the Heads of Delegation present, underlining that the past three years have had a "critical impact" on the aviation sector, and that the event should focus on priority areas including "the recovery and sustainability of air transport, agreements on CO2 emission reduction targets and policy implementation support and the goal of transforming ICAO to better serve its Member States".

ICAO Assemblies are held once every three years, and this year's main priorities have been largely driven by two recent ministerial conferences organised by the UN agency. 

The latest 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 the post-COVID-19 priorities that countries are pursuing through ICAO to improve the recovery and resilience of the air transport system.

On the issue of eliminating carbon emissions from aviation, President Sciacchitano emphasised 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 on a new Net-Zero goal.

On post-pandemic recovery, he emphasised that States and ICAO "cannot become complacent about the risk of future pandemics just because the latter is now diminishing", and noted that this perspective must inform the many decisions that will be presented to States. regarding the resilience of air transport in the coming decades.

Innovation is seen as key to how international flights will achieve these two goals and, consequently, States will decide on far-reaching priorities at the 41st Assembly regarding how passenger experience digitisation, new aircraft and propulsion technologies, developments in sustainable aviation fuels and many other ongoing advances can contribute to improving the environmental and operational sustainability of aviation in the coming decades.

President Sciacchitano acknowledged the importance of aviation becoming more efficient by incorporating cutting-edge solutions, and noted that "As international standard setters, we play a key role in evaluating and enabling new technologies, and in developing global collaborative strategies and goals to achieve evolutionary changes in civil aviation."

As with all ICAO Assemblies, the 193 signatory States to the Chicago Convention will work together at the 41st Session to agree on a new three-year work programme and budget for ICAO, as well as to elect the 36 countries that will serve on the Organisation's Governing Council for the period 2023-2025.

In a remarkable turnaround during a period in which gender equality in ICAO's work and budget has been a major issue.