|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Wednesday, 8 December 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
International Civil Aviation Day : Foundation of the ICAO December 7 of each year is commemorated by the world, especially the civil aviation community, as International Civil Aviation Day (ICAO) and the purpose of this article is to mark this important occasion and to highlight some of the important matters connected with this day.
by H. M. C. Nimalsiri, Director General of Civil Aviation And Chief Executive Officer, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka
The Conference began on 01st November when 700 participants gathered at the Stevens Hotel (today the Conrad Hilton) and elected Mr. Adolph Berle, the head of the US delegation as the Chairman. Originally it was envisioned that the conference would end in 25 days but it actually lasted for 37 days. Chicago Convention As work began on a sunny, late autumn day, participants found on their tables the complete texts of four draft convention proposals already prepared by Australia and New Zealand jointly, Canada, UK and the USA. After extensive discussions amongst the participants, the Conference reached finality and consequently, the Convention on International Civil Aviation emerged on 07th December 1944, which is considered International Civil Aviation Day. The Convention on International Civil Aviation, which is popularly referred to as "Chicago Convention" needed signatures of 26 States, to come into force and Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, India , Ireland, Libya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA and UK are amongst the countries which ratified the Convention at the outset. The most important work accomplished by the Chicago Convention was in the technical field because it laid the foundation for a set of rules and regulations regarding air navigation as a whole which brought safety in flying a great step forward and paved the way for the application of a common air navigation system throughout the world. The very first Article of the Convention has recognised that every state has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory and thereby ensured each State's right over its airspace regardless of its geographical size, economic strength etc. The Convention paved way to setting up of the permanent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a means to secure international co-operation to the highest possible degree of uniformity in regulations and standards, procedures and organization regarding civil aviation matters. At the same time the International Services Transit Agreement and the International Air Transport Agreement were signed paving the way for regulation of States' air transport traffic rights. Aims and objection Sri Lanka ratified the Chicago Convention on June 1, 1948 and became a contracting State of ICAO, which has a total membership of 188 Contracting States to date. The aims and objectives of the ICAO are to develop the principles and techniques of international air navigation and to foster the planning and development of international air transport so as to: (a) Ensure the safe and orderly growth of international civil aviation throughout the world; (b) Encourage the arts of aircraft design and operation for peaceful purpose; (c) Encourage the development of airways, airports, and air navigation facilities for international civil aviation; (d) Meet the needs of the peoples of the world for safe, regular, efficient and economical air transport; (e) Prevent economic waste caused by unreasonable competition; (f) Ensure that the rights of contracting States are fully respected and that every contracting State has a fair opportunity to operate international airlines; (g) Avoid discrimination between contracting States; (h) Promote safety of flight in international air navigation; (i) Promote generally the development of all aspects of international civil aeronautics. Two major activities From the very assumption of activities of ICAO, it was realized that the work of the ICAO Secretariat, especially in the technical field, would have to cover two major activities: those which covered generally applicable rules and regulations concerning training and licensing of aeronautical personnel both in the air and on the ground, communication systems and procedures, rules for the air and air traffic control systems and practices, airworthiness requirements for aircraft engaged in international air navigation as well as their registration and identification, aeronautical meteorology and maps and charts. For obvious reasons, these aspects required uniformity on a worldwide scale if truly international air navigation was to become a possibility. Activities in these fields had therefore to be handled by a central agency, i.e. ICAO headquarters, if local deviations or separate developments were to be avoided; those concerning the practical application of air navigation services and facilities by States and their co-ordinated implementation in specific areas where operating conditions and other relevant parameters were comparable. To meet the latter objective it was agreed to sub-divide the surface of the earth into a number of "regions" within which distinct and specific air navigation problems of a similar nature existed. Eighteen Annexes The Convention has eighteen (18) Annexes, which stipulate international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) concerning various matters associated with civil aviation. It is an obligation on the part of every Contracting State to ensure local implementation and enforcement of such SARPS within the territory coming under their jurisdiction. The ability of a Contracting State to engage in international civil aviation activities without hindrance depends largely on the State's compliance with the SARPS. Since of late, ICAO has launched a special programme called Universal Safety Audit Programme with a view to ascertaining the degree of each Contracting State's compliance with the international Standards and Recommended Practices. Findings at these audits are published and circulated amongst all Contracting States. ICAO has audited Sri Lanka (Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka) in 1997, 2000 and as recently as December this year. The ICAO headquarters is located in Montreal, Canada and it has seven regional offices located in seven regions in the world. Sri Lanka is in the Asia and Pacific Region and its Regional Office is located in Bangkok, Thailand. ICAO has three major bodies viz. Assembly, Council and Secretariat responsible for its management and conduct management. The Assembly, which consists of 188 Contracting States, is the sovereign body, which decides on major policies. The Council which consists of thirty-six countries elected at the General Assembly which is held in every three years at the headquarters is the governing body. The Secretariat attends to the general administration functions of the ICAO. Most safest air transportation Air transportation is the most safest, expeditious, secured and regularized mode of transport in the world. It is the one of the youngest industries, which has achieved a very massive growth over a short span of time and yet gathering more momentum to thrive further. World statistics show that air transport sector (passenger) has an average growth of 6% annual growth. Air transport has become inalienable ingredient of people and developing economies. No country will ever be able to reach the "developed" status without an efficient air transport network. The ICAO has played an effective and very valuable role and service for the civil aviation industry to reach its present status and it is our duty as members of the public to appreciate and acknowledge its yeoman service on a day like today which is International Civil Aviation Day. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
With the cessation of hostilities of the Second World War, the
Government of the Untied States of America extended an invitation to 55
States to attend on 11th September 1944, an International Civil Aviation
Conference in Chicago. Fifty-two States attended this Conference with the
Soviet delegation being re-called while it was en-route to Chicago.
