ICAO Agrees To Step Up Aviation Security

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted by consensus an unprecedented declaration on aviation security.

The 37th assembly of the organization held in Montréal, Canada, endorsed the ICAO Comprehensive Aviation Security Strategy (ICASS), a new approach comprising seven focus areas for the next two triennia.

The international conference gave unanimous support for continuation of the Universal Security Audit Program (USAP).

It adopted several resolutions on new programs and policies on safety management, which include standards on state safety programs, safety management systems and a continuous monitoring approach to safety oversight. The assembly endorsed the sharing of safety information.

The United States signed an agreement with ICAO, the European Union and the International Air Transport Association on the sharing of safety information.

In response to a botched terrorist attack on a U.S.-bound airliner on December 25, 2009, the global community united in bolstering worldwide aviation security standards. As every airport offers a potential entry point into this global system, every nation faces the threat from gaps in aviation security throughout the world.

The assembly signed an agreement on international aviation and climate change.

Delegates adopted a global commitment for collective action among countries around the world to limit and reduce carbon emissions from international aviation.

ICAO recognized that further work is necessary to define the path forward on implementation and the United States affirmed its commitment to further efforts within ICAO.

The U.S. was re-elected to the 36-member executive council, the steering body that sets the priorities and objectives for the organization. Delegates from 167 countries attended the Assembly.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that the outcome of the Assembly demonstrated how the safety of all international passengers becomes enhanced through multilateral diplomacy and negotiation.

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