< PreviousVISION STATEMENTSParticipants in group breakout sessions at COSM 2016 offered their collective vision of how to build global partnerships for aviation development. Proposals included:“ Engage strategic partners to lay the foundation for the sustainable and orderly development of air transport in all States by catalyzing potential partnership and global opportunities and to push beyond the traditional resource mobilization approach.”“ Incentivize States to prioritize aviation in the national plans. Identify aviation development needs and funding opportunities while assisting States in building business plans as well as setting criteria for sustainable returns.”A YEAR AGO, COSM 2015At last year’s ICAO Council Off-Site Strategy Meeting, the focus was on the projected need for future skilled aviation personnel and expanding training capacity under ICAO’s No Country Left Behind initiative. Key objectives identified by the Council and its guests included:■■A long-term strategy to attract young talent to aviation■■Developing a roadmap of global demand for capacity-building■■Pursuing strategic partnerships with UN specialized agencies, international financial institutions, and donors■■Conducting a Global and Regional training needs assessment■■Providing a list of required competen-cies for the implementation of SARPs and training programmes Summarizing and consolidating the GPAD vision statements.ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu (right) and Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu at COSM 2016.Shahid Qadeer served as facilitator for COSM 2016.2016 ICAO COUNCIL OFF-SITE STRATEGY MEETING8 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 3 2016The next steps in the COSM 2016 process will see a review of the ICAO Resource Mobilization Policy to ensure that all elements required for successful Global Partnerships for Aviation Development are taken into account. A Working Paper featuring the aggregated COSM 2016 GPAD recommendations will also be reviewed by the Council.From an overall standpoint, COSM 2016 helped to emphasize that the reprioritization in ICAO under No Country Left Behind is engaging the Organization at every strategic and tactical level, clearly reflecting the cultural transformation now ongoing in ICAO to ensure its continued and valued contributions to States and the global civil aviation network.NACC REGION STATES DECLARE NO COUNTRY LEFT BEHIND INTENT ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 3 2016 11NO COUNTRY LEFT BEHINDDirectors of Civil Aviation in the North and Central American and Caribbean regions, together with the ICAO NACC Regional Office, signed a milestone Declaration of Intent for the ICAO No County Left Behind (NCLB) Strategy in May 2016, agreeing to endorse and support the development of procedures, programmes, and technical cooperative activities for the advancement of air commerce and aviation safety. This important agreement is an example of the will and commitment of States and international organizations to work alongside ICAO to increase their Effective Implementation (EI) of the ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).The Declaration states, in part: “… recognizing the different challenges and socio-political and economic realities of the various member States/Territories accredited to the ICAO NACC Regional Office … it is in the best interest of the member States/Territories to have tailored action plans that take into consideration these differences and challenges.”The Nassau declaration was undertaken to continue the work of the Port-of-Spain Declaration, signed in 2014, which is due to expire at the end of this year.In addition to the NCLB Declaration of Intent, conclusions and decisions reached at the Sixth Meeting of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Directors of Civil Aviation (NACC/DCA/6), held in Nassau, Bahamas, included:1. Implementation of a regulatory framework for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations, including safety oversight risk management mechanisms2. Sharing of training plans and programmes to increase regional safety oversight capacity3. Creation of more effective monitoring and harmonized regional implementation aligned with the ICAO Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU) methodology4. Establishment of a Regional Accident and Incident Investigation Organization (RAIO) in the Caribbean region5. Sharing of transnational experiences and inspectors in the Caribbean region and identification of critical Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) improvements6. Enhancement of Regional Safety Oversight Organizations (RSOOs) and regional support on safety oversight improvements7. Streamlining of aerodrome certification and safety improvements8. Coordination with the NACC Regional Office and Member States on bank financing of projects and donor community efforts9. Evaluation of the feasibility of an association of training organizations in the NAM and CAR regions to help meet regional training capacity needs10. Assisting States with Action Plans on CO2 emissions reductionAlso at the NACC/DCA/6 meeting, the two RSOOs of the Caribbean Region – the Central American Agency for Safety Oversight (ACSA) of the Central American Corporation for Air Navigation Services (COCESNA) and the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS) – signed a cooperative agreement to strengthen the relationship between the organizations and establish close cooperation in the field of civil aviation. This framework for enhanced collaboration includes such joint activities as the development of a Common Safety Management Manual, sharing transnational inspectors to assist their member States, as well as providing a mechanism for information and data sharing across disciplines. The NACC/DCA/6 meeting documentation and report are available at: www.icao.int/NACC/Pages/meetings-2016-naccdca6.aspxSixth Meeting of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Directors of Civil Aviation. The NACC/DCA/6 meeting was hosted by the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority and opened by the Honourable Perry G. Christie, Prime Minister, Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The event had civil aviation authority participants from Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA), El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, and United States. Observers included Airports Council International Latin-America Caribbean (ACI-LAC), Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Central American Corporation for Air Navigation Services (COCESNA), International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA), International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), Rockwell Collins, United Nations Development Group (UNDG), and the World Bank. XXXXX12 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 3 2016NO COUNTRY LEFT BEHIND12 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 3 2016WHAT NCLB MEANS FOR STATES IN THE NACC REGION“ The signing of this agreement is only the first of many steps, on the way to get the best out of mutual cooperation between regional organizations and enable the flow of information and best practices between parties on issues related to security and air navigation services.”– Jorge Vargas Araya, President of the Central American Corporation for Air Navigation Services (COCESNA)Left to right: Ivan Galan, Director, ICAO Technical Co-operation Bureau (TCB); Keith O. Major, Director (Ag.) of the Bahamas Civil Aviation Department; Glenys Hanna Martin, MP, Minister of Transport and Aviation, The Bahamas; Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, Prime Minister, Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Melvin Cintron, Regional Director, ICAO North American, Central American and Caribbean Regional Office, Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary, The Bahamas.ELEMENTS of the NACC NCLB Strategy include: ■■Focus and accountability of engagement at the highest level for creating an environment that ensures political will and government support. ■■Concentrating on solving the problems identified in the system, rather than on the end-product being produced.■■Melvin Cintron, Regional Director, noted that it is imperative that leaders set the example of political will and commitment as they have done in this Declaration. For further information: www.icao.int/NACC/Pages/nacc-nclb.aspxThe ICAO NACC Regional Office asked its members, “What does the Regional NCLB Strategy mean to you?” Here are some of their statements.ARUBAWhile the primary, obvious, and measurable goal would be an increase in Effective Implementation (EI), we particularly look forward to the other consequential effects of the NCLB implementation such as establishment of long-term partnerships with other States based on win-win situations. BELIZEThe transformative leadership that now guides the regional programme, coupled with the dynamic approach contained in the NCLB strategy, guarantees a raise in the level of EI of all the States in the region. CUBAThrough bilateral cooperation with Nicaragua and Belize, and multilaterally within the framework of the ICAO RLA/09/801 Technical Cooperation Project, the strategy has provided expertise of its specialists and maintains its commitment to continue doing so in order to attain the proposed regional safety and air navigation goals.DOMINICAN REPUBLICWith the support of the NCLB strategy led by the NACC Regional Office, our State has been able to reach a high level of compliance in safety, air navigation, and environmental protection.GUATEMALAUnder the NCLB strategy, we already have a proactive and measurable action plan, as part of the same strategy, which allows our State to be focused and committed to transform the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) EI status in the near future. HAITIThe NCLB campaign represents a spectacular initiative as it is relying on the inclusive nature of international aviation to respond to the serious challenges that are impeding its overall performance. JAMAICAThe ICAO Council’s No Country Left Behind strategy is proving to be a ‘game-changer’ as States strive to increase their compliance with the SARPs. MEXICOFor Mexico, this initiative will be the engine that motivates the increase of SARPs compliance. NICARAGUAThe key of success belongs to the will and testament of States and of the NACC Office to ensure that no one is indeed left behind. XXXXX ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 3 2016 13 XXXXXICAO Middle Eastern Member States took a series of bold steps towards improving global cooperation and alignment on air transport objectives at the Global Aviation Ministerial Summit, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh in late August under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz. The Summit was attended by 104 officials representing 54 countries from the Middle East, Africa and other regions, and featured a high-level address by ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu.A key outcome of the summit was the new Riyadh Declaration on Aviation Security and Facilitation in the Arab Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC) and ICAO Middle East (MID) Regions. The six-page Declaration reaffirms States’ need to enhance regional development and integration initiatives for aviation security while seeking new efficiencies for collaborative information sharing and security and facilitation training. “ICAO has begun building on the tremendous success of our Global Plans for safety and air navigation by developing a new Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP), which we expect to be endorsed by our upcoming 39th Assembly and which will bring important global targets and alignment to all regional and national security planning,” President Aliu noted.In the Riyadh Declaration, the Ministers and Heads of Delegations decided to:■■Support, provide and make available needed resources for the development of a Regional SECFAL (Security and Facilitation) Plan which aims to enhance aviation security and facilitation in the ACAC and ICAO MID Regions and for the implementation of the Declaration;■■Incorporate [into the Regional SECFAL Plan] the provisions of the ICAO Global Aviation Security Plan and the Global Facilitation Plan after their endorsement by ICAO’s Assembly;■■Direct the ACAC Secretariat, in coordination with the ICAO Secretariat, to establish an effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanism for the Declaration through the creation of a Joint Steering Committee, including all stakeholders which will establish and maintain a clear action plan with specific targets towards the establishment of a regional SEFCAL Group.The Declaration expressed concerns, among them were recent aviation terrorist attacks, the continuous need to improve States` capacity and capability to address the tenuous security environment, conflict zones, and new and emerging threats, and the need to enhance guidance and training for aviation security and facilitation personnel in order to increase the number of competent/skilled professionals.MIDDLE EAST MINISTERS ADOPT NEW CIVIL AVIATION COMMITMENTS, INCLUDING MAJOR DECLARATION ON AVIATION SECURITYICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu addresses Summit attendees in Riyadh.14 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 3 2016GLOBAL AVIATION MINISTERIAL SUMMITIn the aviation safety domain, Council President Aliu highlighted the need for rapid agreement on a new Middle East/North African Regional Safety Oversight Organization (MENA RSOO). “The Regional Safety Oversight approach is fundamentally about pooling resources for shared benefit. Here in the Middle East it would assist many States with meeting the targets established under the ICAO Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP), as well as associated MID Regional Aviation Safety Group (RASG) objectives,” he stressed, adding that revisions to the GASP are focused on greater prioritization on safety management system (SMS) implementation for airlines and other industry partners, as well as progress on State Safety Programmes (SSPs).In the context of ICAO’s No Country Left Behind initiative, Dr. Aliu urged the establishment of a structured programme in the MID region. “This would enable a coordination mechanism suitable to the participation of all stakeholders, and with specific targets relating to the safety, security and efficiency of air transport operations. This type of framework would also benefit related institutional and financial objectives in support of the various initiatives and projects determined,” he said.Saudi Minister of Transportation Sulaiman Al-Hamdan acknowledged that the air transport industry was experiencing challenges on safety and security, doubling of air traffic, privatization, competition, legislation and rapid technology deployment. “However, the countries and organizations which are participating in this forum are qualified and ready to meet those aviation challenges through joint international action,” he said. Al-Hamdan added that international cooperation through the ICAO promotes the regularity and sustainability of international civil aviation growth.Dr. Aliu also took time to acknowledge the benefits seen through the existing Memorandum of Understanding between ICAO and ACAC, which has facilitated the exchange of statistical information and access to key databases, the organization of joint events, and the promotion and support of training activities. “As we now confront together the challenges of rapid air transport growth, globally as well as in the MID Region, we need to ask ourselves how this cooperation between ICAO, ACAC and Member States can drive even further progress,” he concluded. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (right), receives the President of the ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu (left), at Al-Salam Palace. The two dignitaries reviewed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and ICAO in the field of civil aviation.Dr. Aliu expressed his thanks and appreciation for the Kingdom’s pledge of financial support of US$1 million for the ongoing ICAO No Country Left Behind initiative, under which ICAO provides or coordinates assistance and capacity building to States in order to augment the global effective implementation of ICAO’s Standards and policies — a critical step in States and Regions realizing air transport’s unique connectivity and socio-economic benefits. The audience was attended by Minister of State and Cabinet Member Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of Transport and Acting Chief of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) Sulaiman Bin Abdullah Al-Hamdan, the Authority’s Assistant President for Safety Captain Abdulhakim bin Mohammed Al-Badr and ICAO Middle East Regional Director Mohamed Rahma. SAUDI KING SALMAN RECEIVES PRESIDENT ALIU, PLEDGES US$1M FOR NCLB“Our common goal is safe, secure and environmentally sustainable air travel, now and for the coming generations.”– Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard AliuICAO Council President ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 3 2016 15SECURITY AND FACILITATIONAfrican Ministers responsible for aviation security and facilitation, meeting in Windhoek, Namibia this past April, adopted the landmark Windhoek Declaration and Targets to address challenges in Africa through the implementation of the Comprehensive Regional Implementation Plan for Aviation Security and Facilitation in Africa (AFI SECFAL PLAN). The Ministers stressed they would seek to effectively implement ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and to enhance oversight efforts toward the targets’ attainment.A milestone in the evolution of civil aviation security and facilitation in Africa, ICAO’s AFI SECFAL Plan has now become an agreed and effective framework through which African States, donor States, organizations and industry can coordinate their efforts and activities.The Plan, which is fully aligned with complementary targets already identified under the AU’s Agenda 2063, was adopted by over 20 Ministers in attendance at the Ministerial Conference on Aviation Security And Facilitation in Africa, held this past April in Windhoek, Namibia. The special high-level event was organized jointly by the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) under the auspices of the African Union (AU) Commission. Commenting on the urgency needed to address civil aviation security concerns, ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu noted that “Recent incidents illustrate that there is no doubt that aviation is, and remains, a target of choice for terrorists, and the global policy and regulatory frameworks have become much more responsive to this very aspect of today’s dynamic risk context. This response was enabled by ICAO’s steadfast commitment to aviation security and facilitation, which also enabled our Member States to realize greater benefit from our capacity-building and targeted technical assistance activities.” Capacity-building and the coordination and provision of targeted technical assistance is a key priority for ICAO today under its No Country Left Behind initiative. WINDHOEK DECLARATION NEW MILESTONE FOR AFI SECFAL PLANThe Right Honourable Prime Minister of the Republic of Namibia, Mrs. Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, underscored the importance of security in the development of any economic sector, including air transport and tourism. She also recognized that Africa is not immune from emerging threats such as cybersecurity risks and other acts of unlawful interference to civil aviation, highlighting that the implementation of the ICAO AFI SECFAL Plan will play an important role in near-term and long-term aviation security and facilitation progress. The Windhoek Declaration on Aviation Security was also top of mind when African and ICAO officials came together during the Third Africa-Indian Ocean (AFI) Aviation Safety and Security Symposium, held during ICAO’s “AFI Aviation Week” in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, at the end of June.ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu, responding to the question of whether ICAO and African States could better mitigate or eliminate the risks which terrorist groups pose to civil aviation facilities and operations, noted that for ICAO, the answer to this was partnership, coordination and collective commitments.“We are working very hard to help African States coordinate their planning and resources toward continent-wide progress, develop the partnerships needed to help build much-needed capacities, and ultimately to establish affordable, sustainable and effective Security and Facilitation solutions to the benefit of all African States,” she noted. XXXXX16 ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 3 2016AFRICAN AND INDIAN OCEAN REGIONICAO’s Third African and Indian Ocean (AFI) Aviation Week was an opportunity to reflect on the enormous progress African States have made in terms of developing their aviation connectivity, in particular through cooperation and improved ICAO compliance, and to identify pathways and opportunities for further enhancement. The 27 June – 1 July event was hosted by the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, attracting more than 200 participants from 35 States and 25 international and regional organizations, and featured the participation of ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu.Taking stock of progress against regional safety targets – namely the Abuja targets agreed by African Ministers of Transport in 2012 – was a major agenda item. Participants also reviewed the implementation status of ongoing initiatives and of plans guiding effective cooperation on aviation safety, security and human resources development. They discussed related outcomes from recent African high-level meetings and Declarations, and heard proposals on how the specific work programmes under each area could be further improved in light of the latest data and developments. “We are seeing an increasing number of States with ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Effective Implementation (EI) rates over 60 percent, and a diminishing number of outstanding Significant Safety Concerns (SSCs). These are indeed very positive trends, but they must continue to be improved upon,” explained Secretary General Liu.The occasion was utilized to showcase the release of the Second Edition of the Annual Safety Report of the AFI Regional Aviation Safety Group (RASG-AFI).Two agreements were achieved: (1) two States signed project documentation for African Flight Procedure Programmes (AFPP) membership to foster improved Performance-based Navigation (PBN implementation), and (2), ICAO’s Technical Cooperation Bureau concluded a project agreement on safety and security assistance with Equatorial Guinea.The agenda also provided helpful opportunities for discussions on pursuing and preserving States’ momentum on safety and security issues, and for side meetings regarding on-going ICAO assistance activities aimed at improving safety and security oversight were held with various States. AFI WEEK HIGHLIGHTSREGION’S EXEMPLARYAVIATION COOPERATION “Effectively-resourced and administered civil aviation systems in States are essential to establishing air transport’s global connectivity, which in turn serves as a key catalyst for sustainable economic and social development.”– Dr. Fang Liu ICAO Secretary GeneralICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu told AFI Week delegates, “Africa is one of aviation’s greatest examples today of what cooperation and commitment can deliver in terms of concrete civil aviation progress.”XXXXX ICAO JOURNAL – ISSUE 3 2016 17GLOBAL MARKET-BASED MEASUREThe Friends of the President (FOTP) Informal Group Meeting was convened at ICAO in late August to discuss a new approach for the phased implementation of a global market-based measure (MBM) for addressing carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation. The results of the meeting were reported to the ICAO Council, which subsequently approved a draft Assembly Resolution on the global MBM design. This draft Assembly Resolution was issued on 2 September and will serve as the basis for consideration by Member States at the 39th Assembly.The approach for the global MBM proposal is based on the outcome of bilateral and multilateral consultations that had taken place prior to the FOTP meeting. This approach proposes three phases for the implementation of the global MBM, to be known as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and consists of:■■A Pilot Phase (from 2021 through 2023) and a First Phase (from 2024 through 2026) on the basis of voluntary participation, and■■A Second Phase from 2027 through 2035 with participation of all States except for exempted ones.Within a couple of days of the release of the Assembly Working Paper (A39-WP/52) containing the draft Assembly Resolution, a number of countries issued declarations of support and intent to join the initial voluntary phase. THE DAWN OF ICAO’S GLOBAL MARKET-BASED MEASURE (MBM) The 44 Member States of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) declared their intent to participate in the MBM from its outset, and called on other major aviation States “and those having the capacity to do so” to commit to the global MBM, “and make their decision public before the end of the ICAO Assembly”. The United States and China also announced, ahead of a G-20 summit, that they expect to be early and will volunteer to join. Other countries, including Canada and Mexico (together with the United States), and Indonesia, had previously announced their intent to be part of the MBM from its outset, and other countries are expected to make their announcements soon.Under the CORSIA, participating aircraft operators would offset carbon emissions from international aviation activities above 2020 levels by buying “Emissions Unit” credits from eligible programmes and projects. Depending on the price of carbon, ICAO estimates the programme will cost airlines 0.2-0.6% of total revenues from international flights in 2025. This could increase to 0.5-1.4% by 2035.PUTTING CORSIA INTO PRACTICEThe global MBM proposal to be considered by the Assembly contains the following elements:Next >