ICAO Secretary General stresses the role of air law

Created on 31.05.2018 16:29

Dr. Fang Liu, Secretary General of ICAO, together with Mr. Wang Zhiqing, Deputy Administrator of China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) and Ms. Feng Youmei, First Vice President of Wuhan University, opened and participated in a ‘Belt and Road’ Aviation Law Conference this 28-29 April at Wuhan University.

In her opening speech, Dr. Liu underscored that it was a key responsibility of ICAO to develop international law, policies and standards in the field of civil aviation, given the Organization’s status as a specialized agency of the United Nations with oversight responsibility for the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).

She noted that helping countries to cooperate together through the Chicago Convention, in order to share their skies to their mutual and continuous benefits, was the guiding mission of ICAO, adding that it has been committed to the harmonized safe and orderly development of the civil aviation, and greater socio-economic connectivity among nations, since its establishment in 1944.

“This highlights in part how air transport has become established as a form of ‘sky silk road’ globally,” she highlighted, “and how with greater collaboration and assistance, for example through ICAO’s “No Country Left Behind” initiative , aviation can help many ‘Belt and Road’ States to achieve greater prosperity through its uniquely safe, secure and rapid international connectivity.”

Aviation law and the regulatory system it supports in China have been recognized for promoting and guiding the country’s civil aviation progress in line with the latest ICAO international standards and policies, and such that it has surpassed many related safety and efficiency targets for ICAO Member States.

More than 200 participants of different regions representing international organizations, civil aviation authorities, airlines, universities, arbitration centres, law firms and other entities attended the Wuhan conference, with the topics discussed including the development of aviation legislation, aircraft financing, dispute settlement mechanisms, passenger rights, remotely piloted aircraft systems, and other contemporary issues relating to aviation safety, security and environmental protection.

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