United Nations - ICAO

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (U.N.), falling under the umbrella of the U.N.'s Economic and Social Council. As its name indicates, ICAO deals with various aspects of international aviation.

Formation and Members

The Convention on International Civil Aviation, which is commonly referred to as the Chicago Convention, was signed in 1944. It established ICAO. Until the entry into force of the Chicago Convention, a Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization came into being. Two years later, in 1947, ICAO, as it is known today, was established. It currently has close to 180 member nations.

Purpose and Activities

ICAO's main purpose is the development of safe, regular, efficient and economical air transportation. To this end, ICAO develops "International Standards" for all areas of aviation, such as air traffic control, operation of aircraft, aircraft accident investigations, and aircraft security. ICAO collects and publishes data and statistics in many areas related to aviation. The organization also promotes aviation access in developing countries.

One of ICAO's primary activities is air traffic management. It divides its efforts in this area by nine regions, recognizing that different areas of the globe have differing needs. ICAO recently created a satellite-based communications, navigation, and surveillance/air traffic management system (CNS/ATM), which will be an integrated global system for air traffic control. This project will be at the forefront of ICAO activities in the coming years.

In addition, ICAO constantly works to develop international aviation law and to ensure that treaties in this area are adopted by countries and uniformly applied.

Structure

The ICAO's organizational structure consists of an Assembly, a Council, and a Secretariat. The Assembly is formed by representatives from each member nation. It is the head branch of the ICAO. It meets every three years to set the organization's policy and approve a budget. The Council, led by a President, is formed by 33 member nations, elected by the Assembly to serve a three-year term on the Council. The countries that are elected to the Council are done so with an aim of geographical representation and of representing countries with major contributions to the air transportation industry. Several sub-committees assist the Council in carrying out work in specific areas. The ICAO Secretariat, led by the Secretary General, is the main administrative arm of the organization. The Secretariat, located in Montreal, Canada, is divided into several Bureaus, each responsible for oversight of programs in specific areas, such as air navigation or legal issues.

In addition to headquarters in Canada, ICAO has seven regional offices. These offices form regional plans and implement air navigation and management plans in their region.