The Contracting States
According to Article 52 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also named Chicago Convention, this Convention shall be open for adherence by members of the United Nations and States associated with them. States members of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) are also named Contracting States (Article 1 of the Chicago Convention) or Members States.
Contracting States have usually established a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) within their country as the regulatory body in the field of civil aviation primarily dealing with safety issues and responsible for the regulation of air transport services to/from/within the country and for the enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards. It co-ordinates all regulatory functions with ICAO by taking the policy decisions necessitated by the advances made in the field of International Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) adopted in the ICAO Annexes. The CAAs are headed by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA); depending on the structure of the states, the CAAs may take other names such as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation or are established under the Ministry of Transportation.
ICAO communicates with its Contracting States through the DGCAs by the means of States Letters and Electronic Bulletins (For information only). DGCAs and their experts participate in ICAO meetings and follow-up action thereon. At ICAO, DGCAs meet for high-level discussions or strategies in the field of aviation either during Assembly Sessions or subject-dedicated conferences.
Partnerships are central to ICAO’s core mission. As the global forum of States for international civil aviation, ICAO proactively fosters cooperation, collaboration and coordinated approaches to manage the administration and governance of international civil aviation as mandated by the Chicago Convention. A critical component of ICAO’s vision on partnerships is the Organization’s commitment to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. By demonstrating the strong links between ICAO’s Strategic Objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, ICAO has successfully advocated for aviation to be viewed as a strategic tool in the economic development of States. ICAO is actively engaged in fostering partnerships that assist States to enhance their air transport systems and effectively mobilize resources by making the business case for air transport to be considered an enabler of sustainable development.
On 25 September 2015, the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Development Agenda (Resolution 70/1) titled "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". This agenda has 92 paragraphs. Paragraph 59 outlines the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the associated 169 targets and 232 indicators. The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.
For information, eight ICAO member States have had Representatives on the ICAO Council continuously between 1947 and 2019 (year of the 75th anniversary celebration): Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, United Kingdom and United States.
As of April 2022, 193 countries are Members of ICAO. The only non-Contracting States are the Holy See and Liechtenstein.
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Service cover sent from the Department of Civil Aviation in Australia to ICAO. Postmark dated 30 June 1948.
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Service cover sent from the Direcção-Geral da Aeronáutica Civil (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) in Portugal to the Secretary General at ICAO. Postmarked on 3 May 1955.
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Service cover sent from the Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) in Honduras to the Secretary General at ICAO. Postmarked on 1 June 1959.
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Service cover sent from the Directorate General of Aviation in Costa Rica to the Director of Technical Cooperation at ICAO. Postmarked on 18 May 1963.
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Registered service cover sent from the Direction générale de l’aviation civile of Yugoslavia to ICAO. Postmarked on 23 May 1963.
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Service cover sent from the Ministry of Aviation in United Kingdom to ICAO’s Chief of Finance Branch. Dated 22 February 1965.
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Uruguay – 15 to 17 June 1972 – First Day Cover sent to ICAO National Congress of the Dirección General de Aviación Civil (Directorate General of Civil Aviation)
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Service cover sent from the Civil Aviation Department in Vietnam to the Secretariat General at ICAO. Postmarked on 5 February 1974.
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Service cover sent from the Ministry of Transport in Algeria to the Secretariat General at ICAO. Postmark dated 1974.
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Service cover sent from the Secrétariat général à l’aviation civile in Gabon to ICAO Secretary General. Postmarked on 18 April 1974.
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Service cover sent from the Director of Civil Aviation in Singapore to the Director of Technical Assistance Bureau at ICAO. Postmarked on 10 April 1979.
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Service cover sent from the Ministry of Transportation in Madagascar to the President of the Council of ICAO. Postmarked on 16 March 1993.
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Ethiopia - 7 December 1994 - 50th Anniversary of ICAO – First Day Cover. The stamps show the emblems of the 50th anniversary of ICAO and of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority. |
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Service cover sent from the Estonian Civil Aviation Administration to ICAO. Postmarked on 9 November 1995.
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Nauru – 14 December 1994 - 50th Anniversary of ICAO. The stamp is part of a series of 4 stamps and one souvenir sheet. It shows the ICAO logo and Nauru’s Civil Aviation Authority emblem.
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Service cover sent from the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia to ICAO. ICAO Incoming stamp dated 11 January 2003.
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Service cover sent from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in France to ICAO EUR/NAT Office in Paris. Postmarked on 10 October 2005.
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Commemorative cover issued for the Directors General of Civil Aviation Conference (DGCA/06), held in Montréal, Canada from 20 to 22 March 2006. The lower cover was autographed by Dr. Assad Kotaite, Chairman of the Conference and President of the ICAO Council, and Dr. Taïeb Chérif, Secretary General.
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Philippines – 7 December 2009. 65th Anniversary of ICAO and 2009 International Civil Aviation Day. The margins of this miniature sheet show the logos of various international organizations and offices in the Philippines which are associated to or working with the Department of Transportation and Communications of the Philippines (DOTC). At the top-left side of the souvenir sheet is the logo of the CAA of the Philippines (CAAP).
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First Day Cover (front and back) issued by the United Nations (UN) on 24 October 2016 (UN Day), highlighting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. |
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