International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)

The constitution of ICAO is the Convention on International Civil Aviation, drawn up by a conference in Chicago in November and December 1944, and to which each ICAO Contracting State is a party. The Chicago Convention is another name for this Convention. In October 1947, ICAO became a specialized agency of the newly-established United Nations. The Chicago Convention set down the purpose of ICAO.

About International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO):

The United Nations (UN) associates ICAO as an intergovernmental specialized agency.
The Convention on International Civil Aviation (1944), known as the Chicago Convention, established it in 1947.
Headquarters: Montreal, Canada
Functions:
- ICAO dedicates itself to developing safe and efficient international air transport for peaceful purposes and ensuring that every state has a reasonable opportunity to operate international airlines.
- It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security and facilitation, efficiency, and economic development of air transport as well as to improve the environmental performance of aviation.
- It also serves as a clearinghouse for cooperation and discussion on civil aviation issues among its 193 member states.
- It also promotes regional and international agreements aimed at liberalizing aviation markets.
- It helps to establish legal standards to ensure that the growth of aviation does not compromise safety, and encourages the development of other aspects of international aviation law.

What is Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)?

It is designed as a global market-based measure to offset international aviation CO2 emissions and stabilize the levels of such emissions.
Airplane operators will achieve the offsetting of CO2 emissions by acquiring and canceling emissions units from the global carbon market.
It does not apply to domestic aviation. Under it, aircraft operators will begin monitoring their emissions from international flights and begin acquiring offsets for their emissions growth.

How ICAO Works

The following description is given by ICAO itself:

“According to the terms of the Convention, the Organization is made up of an Assembly, a Council of limited membership with various subordinate bodies and a Secretariat. The Chief Officers are the President of the Council and the Secretary-General.

The Assembly, composed of representatives from all Contracting States, is the sovereign body of ICAO. It meets every three years, reviewing in detail the work of the Organization and setting policy for the coming years. It also votes a triennial budget.

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The Assembly elects the Council, the governing body, for a three-year term, consisting of 36 States. The Assembly selects the Council Member States based on three criteria: States of chief importance in air transport, States contributing the most to air navigation facilities, and States ensuring representation of all major world areas. The Council, as the governing body, provides ongoing guidance to the work of ICAO. It adopts and incorporates Standards and Recommended Practices as Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

The Council receives assistance from the Air Navigation Commission (for technical matters), the Air Transport Committee (for economic matters), the Committee on Joint Support of Air Navigation Services, and the Finance Committee.

The Secretariat, led by a Secretary General, divides itself into five main divisions: the Air Navigation Bureau, the Air Transport Bureau, the Technical Co-operation Bureau, the Legal Bureau, and the Bureau of Administration and Services.

To ensure an international approach in the work of the Secretariat, professional personnel are recruited from a broad geographical basis.

ICAO works in close cooperation with other members of the United Nations family such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Universal Postal Union, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Non-governmental organizations which also participate in ICAO’s work include the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Airports Council International (ACI), the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations (IFALPA), and the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA).”