The 80th anniversary
On 1 November 1944, delegates from 54 nations gathered in the Grand Ballroom of the Stevens Hotel in Chicago at the invitation of the United States of America. At this event, the participants concluded and signed on 7 December 1944 the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known more popularly as the Chicago Convention, the defining key international agreement which has since permitted the global civil aviation system to develop peacefully and in a manner benefitting all peoples and nations of the world. Since ICAO’s inception, aviation has become a linchpin of human activity and socio-economic development. Civil aviation has become an integral part of our world, connecting people, cultures, and economies; it has facilitated international trade, tourism, and cultural exchange, contributing significantly to global economic growth and development.
The year 2024 corresponds to the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Chicago Convention; this landmark agreement established the core principles permitting international transport by air, and led to the creation of the Specialized Agency which has overseen it ever since, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It has developed international standards and policies that helped ensure the safety, security, efficiency and sustainability of air travel.
The theme for the related campaign to promote the contribution ICAO makes to the aviation sector is: “Safe Skies, Sustainable Future: ICAO80“: i.e., celebrating the past and advocating for the safe, secure, and sustainable development of aviation extending access to those who need it most while ensuring that we do not compromise on these imperatives.
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Within the framework of ICAO’s 80th anniversary, the Canadian Delegation to ICAO developed a project for a Universal Postcard Version #1 (see below), meaning that it could be sent from anywhere to anywhere, just by affixing a stamp at the top right corresponding to the rates of the country from where the postcard is sent and filling in the address of the recipient. So, the postcard does not have a postage stamp affixed, nor is it marked with an official impress or seal or postmark. The aircraft is a generic one.
This postcard was released during the three-day off-site strategy meeting of the Council (COSM) held in Ottawa from 3 to 5 June 2024. As part of a visit to Ottawa, ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano and Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar (see picture below) were recognized during the question periods at Canada’s Senate and House of Commons. Hosted by the Government of Canada in Ottawa, the President and Secretary General expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister for Canada's longstanding role as an ICAO founding member and outstanding host state of the Organization's Montréal headquarters since its inception. Their three-day mission to Canada’s capital aimed to further collaboration between ICAO and the Canadian Government on shared objectives.
Council members discussed the ICAO Strategic Plan 2026-2050 and measures to ensure the organization’s financial sustainability. These deliberations will inform preparations for the upcoming 42nd Session of the ICAO Assembly in September 2025, where Member States will again address key challenges and opportunities facing aviation.
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Front and back of the Universal Postcard Version 1 distributed during the strategy meeting of the ICAO Council (COSM) held in early June 2024.
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(From left to right) ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar, ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano and the Prime Minister of Canada Mr. Justin Trudeau. |
A new Declaration of Intent was signed between ICAO and the Government of Québec on 19 November 2024 at the National Assembly of Québec, marking ICAO’s 80th anniversary and reinforcing the host province’s continued support for the Organization.
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(From left to right) The Secretary General Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar, the President of the ICAO Council Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano, the Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie Ms. Martine Biron, and the Premier of Québec Mr. François Legault. |
In celebration of the 80th anniversary of ICAO, a special black-and-white exhibit of archival photos was organized in the ICAO Museum at Headquarters from November 2024 until after the International Civil Aviation Day on 7 December 2024. It chronicles the foundation of ICAO from the historic signing of the Convention on International Civil Aviation in Chicago in 1944 to the early assemblies that shaped global aviation cooperation, telling the stories of visionaries who gathered in 1944 and the decades that followed.
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80 Years of ICAO - A journey through the early decades. |
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To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Chicago Convention, the Permanent Mission of Canada to ICAO organized a cocktail reception on 2 December 2024, followed by a concert featuring the music of the band of the 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron of St-Hubert. The concert was the occasion to offer to ICAO a musical anthem specially conceived as part of the 80th anniversary and to unveil a new version (Version #2) of the 80th anniversary postcard, a copy of which is shown below (front and back). Mr. Albert Pelsser, retired from ICAO, collector of ICAO stamps and passionate philatelist, was the instigator and advisor of this postcard. He was honoured by Mrs. Annick Goulet, Representative of Canada to ICAO, for his generous contribution to the creation of this postcard, and for his tireless work in promoting ICAO (see at left). Joey Thibeault was the designer of Canada’s brand image.
The original idea behind the postcard is for visitors to ICAO headquarters to acquire a copy of this postcard, affix a stamp (according to the postage rates of the country) and send it to family members, friends and acquaintances.
This card became an essential part of the Canadian image at major celebratory events and would be shared throughout the following year.
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Postcard distributed to the participants to the celebration of the 80th anniversary at ICAO Headquarters in Montréal. Special cancel by Canada Post. |
The Canadian Association of Former International Civil Servants (CAFICS) with headquarters in Montréal, Canada publishes a Bulletin for its members. The winter edition of this Bulletin no 124 also reports on the above event. Click on the following link for details: 80th Anniversary postcard.
The 80th anniversary event was officially opened in Chicago, Illinois, on 4 December 2024 by Mr. Pete Buttigieg, United States Secretary of Transportation, in the very room where the 1944 Conference on International Civil Aviation was held at the Stevens Hotel, now the Chicago Hilton. The Council President Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano and the Secretary General Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar also delivered welcoming remarks at this historic occasion. The event brought together 36 representatives from the ICAO Council and high-level delegates from ICAO Member States, including 10 Ministers and 50 Directors General of Civil Aviation.
During the Extraordinary Session of the ICAO Governing Council held in Chicago on 5 December, the Council adopted a resolution to acknowledge ICAO’s contributions since its founding in December 1944, and outlining a vision for a safe, sustainable, and accessible aviation sector for all. This historic resolution also celebrates the contributions of civil aviation to global cooperation, peace, and economic development; it urges Member States to continue promoting innovation, inclusivity, and environmental sustainability, including achieving zero net carbon emissions by 2050. The afternoon of 5 December featured three high-level roundtables addressing key themes in aviation. Industry stakeholders concluded the Extraordinary Council session by presenting a joint declaration celebrating eighty years of collaboration, progress and innovation since the establishment of ICAO and pledging the sector’s ongoing support to ICAO’s long-term strategic vision.
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Photomontage with the Grand Ballroom where the final plenary Session was held on 7 December 1944 (lower picture) and where the Council Session was held on 5 December 2024 (upper picture).
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Council Session held on 5 December 2024 in the Grand Ballroom of the Chicago Hilton. |
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