iPADIS ACTIVE PARTICIPANT AT THE 41ST SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF ICAO
- On October 10, 2022
Montreal, Monday October 10 – The International Partners for Aviation Development, Innovation and Sustainability (iPADIS) took an active part in the 41st Session of the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as an accredited observer organisation to ICAO. The Assembly was held in Montreal from 27 September to 7 October.
iPADIS submitted several working papers for consideration by the Assembly on matters pertinent to its three strategic objectives – aviation development, innovation, and sustainability and social responsibility.
On the critical issue of enhancing the sustainable development of civil aviation in ICAO member countries, iPADIS advocated for the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as offering the best potential for a quick reduction and eventually the elimination of aviation in-sector greenhouse gas emissions, as well as for achieving as quickly as possible the long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 adopted at the Assembly. IPADIS further reiterated the importance of SAF as an encouraging avenue for states, especially developing countries, to diversify their economy, broaden their technical knowledge and expertise, and advance national technological development while effectively contributing to the reduction of aviation emissions. iPADIS further emphasized that that the rapid development and deployment of SAF require political will, enabling policies and economic incentives by governments.
iPADIS urged ICAO, member states, regional organisations and the aviation industry to develop and harmonise global, regional and national policies on SAF and to collaborate with non-governmental and civil society organisations in sensitising governments and societies to the benefits of SAF. iPADIS also requested ICAO to strengthen its collaboration with donor states, development partners, financial institutions, producers and distributors of SAF and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate capacity building, access to financing and technology transfer to enable States in developing their SAF industry, including through public and private partnerships and joint ventures.
iPADIS also recalled the significant impact of innovation in the evolution of civil aviation and the extremely rapid innovation currently taking place in all aspects of the sector. It emphasized that in addition to enhancing aviation safety, security, efficiency and environmental sustainability as well as modernising aviation infrastructure, innovation assists developing and emerging economies alike in leapfrogging outdated and costly legacy aviation systems, bridging technological gaps and enhancing the benefits of aviation for civil society and businesses.
Moreover, iPADIS proffered fundamental principles to guide innovation and called on states to implement national development plans and civil aviation policies that promote innovation and encourage new entrants to the aviation industry, while urging regulators to embrace innovation in their processes. iPADIS further encouraged states to share experiences among themselves and with ICAO, urging the organization to take the lead in providing timely guidance to its member states and industry, while at the same time ensuring more effective consultation with new entrants and organisations representing users.
iPADIS also highlighted the importance of social responsibility issues to the long-term sustainability of air transport. These include gender equality, youth empowerment, workers’ welfare, humanitarian assistance, biodiversity and wildlife protection, inclusion, accessibility and mobility to persons with disabilities and an aging population. It encouraged ICAO to implement a more effective platform for consultation and collaboration with civil society organizations on these issues, consistent with the United Nations (UN) principles and processes.
The Assembly was informed that accessibility is one area where iPADIS has done significant work in collaboration with organisations representing the disabled communities and that iPADIS is looking forward to collaborating and sharing relevent experiences with ICAO and other aviation stakeholders. In this regard, it was reiterated that enhancing accessibility is both a matter of social responsibility and an economic imperative for international air transport. The importance of enabling infrastructure, harmonised accessibility regulations, procedures and best practices as well as collaboration among ICAO member states, aviation and civil society stakeholders and communities representing persons with disabilities was further emphasized. iPADIS requested ICAO to take the lead in promoting a culture of inclusion and awareness of accessibility challenges and solutions in international air transport.
The Assembly also afforded iPADIS the opportunity to network, consult and promote cooperation and partnerships for ongoing and planned iPADIS programmes and activities. In this regard, very useful bilateral meetings were held with delegations of participating states, regional bodies and other invited organisations including delegations of Togo, Kazakhstan, South Africa and Nigeria. Fruitful discussions were held with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Airports Council International (ACI); the Air and Space Academy (AAE) of France, ALICANTO members representing Embry Riddle, Ohio, Cranfield and McGill universities, and many more entities.
iPADIS was pleased to witness the positive steps taken by ICAO to include non-traditional aviation industry stakeholders including non-governmental organisations such as iPADIS that represent civil society and are dedicated to helping shape decision making at this highly important UN body.
iPADIS is particularly proud of its timely contribution to the historic adoption by the Assembly of a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050.