Civil Aviation Commissions
In addition to the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), there are three other Civil Aviation Commissions, as follows: the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), the Arab Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC), and the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC), described hereafter in chronological order of creation.
On 27 September 2010, i.e. the day before the opening of the 37th Session of the Assembly held in Montreal, Canada from 28 September to 8 October 2010, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) signed memoranda of cooperation providing a framework for enhanced cooperation with various regional commissions and organizations, i.e. the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), ACAC, AFCAC, the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), and the Latin America Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC).
LACAC - Latin American Civil Aviation Commission
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LACAC Emblem |
The civil aviation organization of Latin American States was founded on 14 December 1973 (came into force on 21 October 1975, upon approval by 12 States situated in the area) during a meeting held in Mexico City and is formally called Comisión Latinoamericana de Aviación Civil (CLAC) or Latin America Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC). The primary objective of this Commission is to provide the civil aviation authorities of the Member States with a suitable framework within which to discuss and plan all the necessary measures for co-operation and co-ordination of civil aviation activities. It was created mainly to solve economic rather than technical problems, since the safety of air navigation at the regional planning level is the responsibility of ICAO and its Regional Offices. LACAC has played an important role in coordinating and establishing policies and common approaches covering a wide range of subjects pertaining to the development of civil aviation among Member States. LACAC maintains close relations with ICAO in order to ensure the harmonization and co-ordination of its activities with the objectives and plans of ICAO.
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Dominican Republic – 7 December 1983 – 10th Anniversary of LACAC The exact day of the anniversary should have been on 14 December 1984. This country confused the latter date with ICAO’s 40th anniversary celebrated on 7 December 1984.
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Mexico – 14 December 1998 25th Anniversary of LACAC |
AFCAC – African Civil Aviation Commission
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AFCAC Emblem |
The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) was conceived by the Constitutive Conference convened by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the constitution was adopted on 17 January 1969; it came into force on 12 January 1972 after ratification by twenty Member States of the OAU. It is a consultative body whose objectives are to provide the civil aviation authorities in the Member States with a framework within which to discuss and plan all the required measures of coordination and cooperation for all their aviation activities, and to promote coordination, better utilization and orderly development of African air transport systems. A revised constitution was adopted in Cairo, Egypt on 27 April 2001; a new constitution was eventually adopted on 16 December 2009 at the end of the meeting held in Dakar, Senegal from 14 to 16 December 2009. AFCAC is a specialized institution of the African Union, which replaced the Organization of African Unity on 11 July 2000 (the Constitutive Act of the African Union adopted in 2000 at the Lomé Summit, Togo entered into force in 2001). AFCAC’s headquarters are located in the same building as the Dakar-based Western and Central African (WACAF) Office of ICAO.
ACAC - Arab Civil Aviation Commission
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ACAC Emblem |
The Civil Aviation Council of Arab States (CACAS), whose agreement came into force on 14 October 1967, preceded ACAC; this agreement was signed in Baghdad. CACAS held its first meeting on 6 November 1967. Its mission is to help to accelerate the execution of common Arab projects in the field of civil aviation. Mr. Mohammed Soliman El Hakim’s efforts were instrumental in creating the CACAS of which he became the first President. He was the recipient of the 12th Edward Warner Award (ICAO’s highest honour) in 1977. CACAS ceased to exist in November 1989.
Affiliated to the League of Arab States (LAS), the Arab Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC) was created on 7 February 1996 when its founding convention went into force; it held its first General Assembly on 4-5 June 1996. It was established as a regional organization for coordination and cooperation among Arab countries and with other parts of the world in the field of civil aviation; it coordinates national civil aviation policies including regulations, training and research of their Member States.
ACAC coordinates with ICAO concerning international civil aviation, as well as with other regional civil aviation commissions and organizations. In 2022, ACAC was composed of 20 Arab member countries. ACAC’s headquarters are in Rabat, Morocco.
ACAC is the major partner of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), which represents Arab airlines. AACO was established during the first meeting of the Arab airlines held in Cairo from 23 to 25 January 1965, as a body to foster cooperation among themselves and to develop scheduled air transport in a safe, regular and economic manner for the benefit of Arab countries, as well to promote air transport and tourism.
The Civil Aviation Council of Arab States, at its 11th Annual Session in 1973, adopted a resolution to celebrate an Aviation Day every year on 1 December.
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1 December 1973 - 11th Annual Session of the Civil Aviation Council of Arab States held in Baghdad, Irak from 1 to 10 December 1973.
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11 December 1990 – Syria - Arab Civil Aviation Day Note that the vertical text on the left-side reads as follows: ARAB CIVIL FLYING DAY – 1th DECEMBER; it should be spelled: ARAB CIVIL AVIATION DAY – 1st DECEMBER. Design and date errors are combined on this issue. |
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