MONTRÉAL, Sept. 29, 2022 /CNW/ – Canada is playing a leadership role as delegates from around the world come together to secure the highest possible standards for global aviation, and make air transportation cleaner, safer, and more secure.
This week, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, took part in the 41st Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly, which runs from September 27 to October 7, 2022, at ICAO headquarters in Montréal.
Minister Alghabra participated in several events throughout the week to demonstrate Canada’s deep commitment to ICAO and the many important issues being discussed at the Assembly:
- Minister Alghabra participated in the third meeting of the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition (IACAC), which aims to advance ambitious actions to reduce aviation emissions. He delivered closing remarks emphasizing the importance of working together to address this global problem and expressed his hope that a unified voice at the Assembly would help achieve climate change goals.
- Minister Alghabra led a Roundtable on Air Sector Recovery, which brought together ministers from the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the European Commissioner for Transport, and senior officials from Germany and the United States to discuss the critical issues of airport congestion and the recovery of the global air sector.
- Minister Alghabra delivered a national statement to the ICAO Assembly and reiterated Canada’s support for a rules-based international air transport system, including advocating for improvements to ICAO’s air accident investigation protocols, and well as advancing the Safer Skies Initiative to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft in or near conflict zones. The Minister also restated the commitment of the Government of Canada and G7 leaders to provide the support Ukraine needs to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity, to defend itself, and to choose its own future.
Minister Alghabra also met with several partners, including:
- International counterparts from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Singapore, Qatar, the Maldives, the Czech Republic, the European Commission, and Morocco to discuss international cooperation in transportation; and
- Yuliya Kovaliv, Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, and Marc Brazeau, CEO, Railway Association of Canada, to identify areas to provide collaborative rail assistance to Ukraine.
While in Montréal, Minister Alghabra announced the release of Canada’s Aviation Climate Action Plan (2022-2030). The action plan presents a vision of net zero emissions by 2050 for the Canadian aviation sector and sets a goal of 10% for the use of sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.
Minister Alghabra also announced at ICAO that the Government of Canada, the Railway Association of Canada, the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the Canadian National Railway Company established a working group to support the reconstruction of Ukrainian transportation infrastructure and the resiliency of Ukraine’s rail infrastructure.
Quote
“A multilateral, rules-based order is critical for global aviation, and Canada believes in ICAO’s key role to support this. As the proud Host State, Canada works hard to ensure ICAO thrives in Montréal and, as a leading contributor, we will continue to work with member states to create a more prosperous, greener, and safer civil aviation system. We must work together to achieve ICAO’s goals.”
The Honourable Omar Alghabra,
Minister of Transport
Quick Facts
- ICAO is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency that works with its 193 Member States to set and audit safety, security, emissions, navigation, and facilitation standards to shape and improve international air operations.
- As Host Country, Canada works to provide the necessary support to ICAO and its diplomatic community. In doing so, Canada works closely with the City of Montréal, the Province of Québec and the Secretariat of ICAO to ensure the organization continues to thrive in Montréal.
- The ICAO Assembly is the Organization’s sovereign body. It meets at least once every three years in Montréal and is convened by ICAO’s governing body, the Council. The Assembly establishes ICAO’s priorities for the upcoming three years.
Related Links
International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly 41st Session
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.