Stories by Ime Akpan Lagos
Th e Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, (ICAO), Dr. Fang Liu has said that African states, with ICAO’s assistance and support, are achieving signifi cant progress in complying with international civil aviation standards, but that much more can and should be achieved to help them better optimize the signifi cant socio-economic benefi ts of safe and effi cient global air transport connectivity. Her message was delivered to the hundreds of government and air transport participants from 36 states and 21 international and regional organizations to the Fourth ICAO Africa and Indian-Ocean (AFI) Aviation Week, which was held in Botswana recently. Th e series of meetings was jointly organized this year by the Government of Botswana and ICAO under the theme “Strengthening aviation as a driver to economic and social development.
” Th e 2017 AFI Aviation Week provided an opportunity to jointly assess AFI Region’s challenges, and to harness applicable opportunities to pursue the global and regional goals. Th e participants recognized the improved level of compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) by several States as well as the commitments and actions taken by a number of them to resolve Signifi cant Safety and Security Concerns (SSCs and SSeCs) identifi ed through ICAO’s Safety And Security Oversight Audits. “Since the last AFI Aviation Week, an increasing number of States have accepted ICAO Plans of Action, the implementation of which has resulted in an increase in the number of States that have attained and improved upon the 60 per cent minimum EI target in ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan,” said Liu. Pointing out the challenges ahead, Dr. Liu highlighted the importance of ICAO’s No Country Left Behind initiative, and the support of its regional offi ces in realizing its assistance and capacity building objectives, while recognizing the contributions of Botswana’s regional leadership on aviation developmental issues. “I would like to recall that the attainment of this target by at least 80 per cent of States, and the resolution of all outstanding SSCs, are the key safety Goals for the AFI Region in 2017,” she added. Th ereafter, the secretary general took the occasion to present Botswana with an ICAO Council President Certifi cate of Recognition for its recent eff orts and the results achieved during the 2016 ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme cycle. Looking forward, Liu stressed the associated need for greater allocation of resources, particularly towards the Human Resources Development Fund for Africa (HRDF). “Under the HRDF, voluntary contributions are being used today to assure the skilled personnel required for future operational effi ciency and continuous implementation of ICAO SARPs, and other programme activities in the civil aviation sector.
“Th is is a very important capacity-building initiative for Africa’s civil aviation sector, and I would like to encourage support from States, industry partners and other interested parties,” she remarked. Liu further extended a special acknowledgement to Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo), as well as China, Kenya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Turkey, and United Republic of Tanzania, for having already made signifi cant contributions in support of the HRDF. While in Botswana, Liu also undertook high-level bilateral discussions with Botswana’s president and head of state, Mr. Ian Khama, his Minister of transport and communications, Mr. Onkokame Mokaila, and the chairman of the board and the chief executive offi cer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana, Messrs Mark Sampson and Geoff rey P. Mashabesha, respectively.
