The Council President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, and ICAO Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, in a joint statement on the occasion of International Civil Aviation Day, 2015, noted:
The air transport sector today stands on the cusp of a very important era in the history of international civil aviation.
Given the established pattern whereby the global air transport network doubles in flight and passenger volumes every 15 years, and its significant importance to the prosperity of societies and businesses all over the world, the commitments and actions on behalf of world States and organisations toward modernised and expanded civil aviation infrastructure and capacities have never been more important.
Under its ‘No Country Left Behind’ programme, ICAO is working with great determination today to raise global awareness on the fundamental importance of the effective implementation of ICAO Standards and Policies, which together support the enhanced safety, efficiency, security, economic development and environmental protection of the international aviation system.
This is the most important and urgently required first step which must be undertaken, if a State or Region hopes to improve its ability to access and realise the significant socio-economic benefits which derive from the availability of safe and reliable air services.
ICAO and its Governing Council also recognise that cooperation and consensus have been the most important qualities contributing to air transport progress since the dawn of the civil aviation era, and that future objectives and solutions will require even greater partnership and collaboration, on the part of all players to ensure that air transport will continue to serve as an significant enabler of global peace and prosperity, wherever aircraft fly.
The ICAO Council has therefore selected a new theme for International Civil Aviation Day. This theme will stay in place for the years 2015-2018 inclusive. The Council is stressing its value and importance to civil aviation everywhere, and which reinforces the above priorities and considerations, as follows: “Working Together to Ensure No Country is Left Behind”
******************
On International Civil Aviation Day
From DIRECTOR GENERAL (AG), GUYANA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority joins the aviation fraternity in observing International Civil Aviation Day under the theme “WORKING TOWARDS ENSURING NO COUNTRY IS LEFT BEHIND”.
Raymond Benjamin, Secretary General of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) remarked at the World Aviation forum, “that the role of connectivity and aviation development is important to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”.
The “No Country Left Behind” initiative is seen in a much broader context when it comes to human rights of the peoples of the world, and supports many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Aviation is no longer only a national matter; it is a global phenomenon; it connects the world. It has completely transformed the ways in which travel, tourism, trade and commerce are accomplished. However, the continued growth and demands of this system have presented many challenges.
We need to address these challenges so that we can build a safe, secure, economically viable, and environmentally friendly aviation system that will be sustainable for the future.
This theme has been chosen to transform civil aviation over the next four years. These four years are critical for Civil Aviation in Guyana and more so, for the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Within this period, Guyana has to improve its level of compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), which will aid in the attainment of the Federal Aviation Administration’s International Aviation Safety Assessment – Category 1.
In order to achieve this, however, there must be “political will” by all involved, starting with the recognition of aviation as a catalyst for economic and social development that will support poverty eradication, job creation, access to better education and health facilities, and other benefits to the entire nation.
From 2005, ICAO expanded its requirement under the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), from auditing three Annexes to auditing all safety related Annexes in the Chicago Convention for compliance to their Standards and Recommended Practices. This significantly decreased compliance level for many States whose aviation activity is low.
In 2013, a new Annex to the Convention on International Civil Aviation was introduced. This expanded audit programme required States to review and revise their legislative and regulatory framework, to ensure compliance with all SARPs contained in nineteen Annexes to the Chicago Convention, so as to support the effective functioning of the Regulatory and Safety Oversight agency.
The surge in aviation activities on the national scale requires an increased number of technically trained and qualified personnel to support the industry through safety and regulatory oversight and enforcement.
This institutional strengthening and capacity-building of GCAA has required robust intervention and implementation to keep abreast of these activities in order to enable Guyana to attain a higher level of compliance with ICAO’s SARPs.
The negligence in addressing this ongoing increase in requirements, while not peculiar to the Guyana situation only, continues, and has placed our country, a contracting State to ICAO, below 50% compliance.
ICAO compliance is a State’s responsibility, and as such, while other aviation infrastructural development is essential, a robust regulatory and safety oversight body is much more needed to sustain a safe, secure and vibrant industry.
As we observe this day and recognise the significant development in Guyana’s aviation sector along with the efforts of all aviation personnel who directly or indirectly support this industry, and ensure its safety on a day to day basis, I urge that aviation be accorded a higher level on our country’s agenda so that it can be recognised as an enabler for economic and social development and as an important tool to support the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.