Sessions of the Assembly (from 41st to the latest)
This chapter provides philatelic material related to the 41th Session, and the Sessions held thereafter. All these Sessions were held in Montreal, Canada, at ICAO Headquarters.
41th Session (held in Montréal, Canada, from 27 September to 7 October 2022).
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In all, participated in this Session: 2194 Delegates from Members States, 365 Delegates from Observer Delegations, and 14 from other Delegations. For a grand total of 2,573 Delegates. In term of Delegations represented: 184 Members States, 56 Observer Delegations and 1 Other Delegation (Total of 241 Delegations).
The historic outcome of the Assembly was acknowledged to be thanks to the outstanding leadership and excellent chairwomanship of the meeting by Ms. Poppy Khoza, the Director General of Civil Aviation of South Africa, and the first ever female President of the ICAO Assembly. See picture at the left with ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar, Ms. Poppy Khoza, and the President of the ICAO Council Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano
A special souvenir cover was prepared to celebrate this event; the generic aircraft on the envelope and the stamp looks like a Boeing 737-800. The personalized stamp (or Picture Postage stamp) and the postmark were prepared in cooperation with Canada Post. The cachet at the left-side shows the special emblem designed by ICAO for this Session; this design is also reproduced on the postmark and the stamp.
Unfortunately, Canada Post discontinued its Picture Postage program as of 1 September 2022. This stamp is therefore unique, as no further personalized stamps will be produced for events scheduled after this 41st Session of the Assembly.
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A41 Souvenir Cover – Size 7¼ x 5¼ in. Enlarged pictures of the stamp and cancel.
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The aircraft on the souvenir cover was taken from ICAO Doc 9760 – Airworthiness Manual. This aircraft was also part of the emblem of the A41 Assembly (see lower picture). |
Recognizing the critical role air transport plays as a catalyst for sustainable development worldwide, governments have taken new steps to recognize and strengthen the role of air connectivity in their strategic planning and policies, and to emphasize the role it plays in achieving global sustainable development.
The 184 countries also formally acknowledged the long-term
investment frameworks needed to modernize aviation infrastructure and air
navigation services globally, separately urging ICAO to continue to make
progress on a new Convention
on Foreign Investment in Airlines.
The Assembly also provided ICAO with an
opportunity to advocate for the increased liberalization of air services in all
world regions, in order to expand the access and affordability of air services
by opening up travel and transport markets and eliminating protectionist
constraints.
In further decisions relating to the sustainable
development of air transport, the Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to the
achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and
supported continued efforts for advocating around aviation as a strong
contributor to the Sustainable Development Goals.
A revised Resolution on this topic encourages States to consider establishing a clearly-defined relationship between their national development plans, and national civil aviation policy, plans and strategies, and calls for greater support of development of the aviation in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS [spell out], especially through enhanced development assistance and cooperation.
In addition, there was unequivocal support for the revised Assembly Resolution on a more holistic approach to achieving gender equality in aviation. Countries have encouraged ICAO, Member States, industry, and all stakeholders to demonstrate greater ambition and intensified action in their human resources policies for a gender-balanced workforce, to set out goals and measurable targets to minimize the gender gap, and to devote more resources to achieving these goals.
On the topic of innovation, which will be fundamental to achieving many current air transport objectives, the Assembly recognized the relevance of ICAO’s continued work in this area. The Assembly underscored the need to define new cooperation mechanisms to realize greater efficiencies in ICAO’s standards development process, to support early implementation and innovation. It also highlighted the role of ICAO in supporting Member States’ efforts to streamline certification and audit processes in order to facilitate the uptake and operation of innovations.
The Assembly further requested ICAO to consider engaging with the appropriate government entities related to the operation of urban air mobility (UAM), as this will require a multi-stakeholder approach. In welcoming the content of the Industry Roadmap for Future Skies, the Assembly requested ICAO to consider the development and prioritization of the activities included in the roadmap.
States adopt NET-ZERO 2050 global aspirational goal for international flight operations
The goal for decarbonized air transport, which follows similar commitments from industry groups, will “contribute to the green innovation and implementation momentum, which must be accelerated over the coming decades to ultimately achieve emissions-free powered flight,” stressed the President of the ICAO Council Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano.
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Culminating 2 weeks of intensive diplomacy by over 2500 delegates from 184 States and 57 organizations at the 41st ICAO Assembly, ICAO Member States adopted a collective long-term global aspirational goal (LTAG) of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 (Resolution A41-21).
The achievement of the LTAG will rely on the combined effect of multiple CO2 emissions reduction measures, including the accelerated adoption of new and innovative aircraft technologies, streamlined flight operations, and the increased production and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). “States’ adoption of this new long-term goal for decarbonized air transport, following the similar commitments from industry groups, will contribute importantly to the green innovation and implementation momentum which must be accelerated over the coming decades to ultimately achieve emissions free powered flight,” stressed the President of the ICAO Council Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano.
“Countries have achieved some tremendous and very important diplomatic progress at this event, and on topics of crucial importance to the future sustainability of our planet and the air transport system which serves and connects its populations,” commented ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar. States at the ICAO Assembly also collectively underscored the importance of viable financing and investment support to the new CO2 emissions goal’s attainment, and fully supported the new ICAO Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) programme to accelerate the availability and use of SAF, requesting in addition that a third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels be convened in 2023.
Other notable environmental developments at the 41st ICAO Assembly included the completion of the first periodic review of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Countries agreed on a new CORSIA baseline from 2024 onwards, defined as 85% of CO2 emissions in 2019, and on revised percentages for the sectoral and individual growth factors to be used for the calculation of offsetting requirements from 2030 onwards.
ICAO Assembly security and facilitation decisions to drive important post-pandemic enhancements to air transport system resilience
The key implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for global air transport were addressed in several key air transport facilitation decisions adopted during ICAO’s 41st Assembly.
The
triennial meeting closed at ICAO Headquarters in Montréal, Canada today,
concluding the latest efforts by ICAO Member States to forge diplomatic consensus
on ICAO’s budget and work programme for the next three years, which includes
focusing on key priorities.
“The outcomes of ICAO’s High-Level Conference on COVID-19 have factored into
States’ agreements in the area of Air Transport Facilitation, and notably in
terms of its recommendations on the need for a contactless digital passenger
experience to be achieved, supported by new public health related ICAO
provisions,” remarked ICAO’s Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano.
States agreed to promote the global adoption of internationally interoperable health certificates featuring ICAO Visible Digital Seal for Non-Constrained Environments (VDS-NC) verification features.
States also voiced their support for the ICAO Health Master List, which aids States and aviation stakeholders in achieving efficient and secure authentication of traveller vaccination status and test result certificates, as part of maintaining health and sustaining safe international air transport during public health emergencies affecting air travel.
States further endorsed that ICAO will develop a new strategy in order that the world may be better prepared to respond to future public health emergencies, notably through its Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA). Emphasis was given to this strategy to include a comprehensive crisis management framework and mechanism.
The Assembly also noted that ICAO’s Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP) and the GASeP Roadmap provide global structure and direction to States’ enhancement of the effectiveness of global aviation security. Concurrently, the new ICAO Implementation Support Policy helps to underpin ICAO’s efforts to assist States to deliver the aviation security measures required under Annex 17 – Aviation Security.
The efforts by States, regional groups and industry to implement the GASeP and its Roadmap received exceptional recognition by the Assembly, who further agreed on the need to update the Plan to provide a strong focus on human factors, performance, and the professionalization of the aviation workforce.
In addition, States decided to adopt and implement the recommendations from the ICAO Symposium on Assistance to Aircraft Accident Victims and their Families conducted last year, and to officially designate 2023 as the ‘Year of Facilitation Culture’ to underscore the scope and relevance of the challenges which lie ahead.
Finally, the Assembly adopted a Declaration on air transport facilitation affirming global commitment to enable the safe and efficient recovery of aviation from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to make aviation more resilient in the future.
Safety and capacity of global flight network advanced by new ICAO Assembly decisions
At the 41st ICAO Assembly, State aviation regulators reached a number of landmark agreements and decisions that will enable them to enhance the safety and efficiency of the international air transport system.
In particular, States endorsed the latest editions of ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) and Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP). These important strategic plans guide States cooperation and actions on the basis of global aviation targets and technology roadmaps, enabling aligned worldwide progress on key priorities and challenges.
“The endorsement of the latest editions of ICAO’s GASP and GANP will bring the aviation community together around common targets and pathways to achieve an agile, safe, secure, sustainable, high-performing and interoperable global air transport system,” remarked ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano.
“I am particularly encouraged that the cyber resilience of safety critical systems is a key priority in the next edition of the GANP,” he emphasized.
The Council President also noted the adoption of the Safety recommendations that had resulted from ICAO’s High-level Conference on COVID-19 held in October 2021, and the endorsement of the evolution of ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). The Assembly also endorsed the new ICAO Implementation Support Policy which will enhance efforts to assist States to implement the international standards contained in the nineteen Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The 184 States and 57 international and regional organizations participating in the 41st Assembly also agreed that regional aviation safety organizations and accident investigation bodies should be better supported through more sustainable funding and legal frameworks. This cooperation is seen as fundamental to enabling cost-effective ICAO compliance for many countries, improving local and regional oversight, and the realization of air transport’s socio-economic benefits for civil societies.
In the legal domain, the Assembly called upon States to respect their obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, its Annexes and its related procedures for the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation, and recognized ICAO’s Legal Committee achievements in the development of over 20 international air law treaties. The second ICAO Treaty Event was successfully conducted during the Assembly, at which seven States took the opportunity to deposit instruments of ratification to international air law treaties for which ICAO acts as Depositary, with a total of 11 depositary actions being recorded. The Event took place under the theme “75th Anniversary of the ICAO Legal Committee – Building the Global Legal Regime for Civil Aviation”.
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A41 Assembly banner hanging in the Atrium at ICAO Headquarters.
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Views of the Assembly Hall during the 41st Session. |
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