International aviation community sets out policy for global aviation

Published 26.09.2019 13:34

The 40th session of the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will be launched tomorrow, on 24 September 2019 in Montreal, Canada. The main themes discussed at the two-week session include environmental matters, aviation safety and security, and cybersecurity. Finland is standing for election to the Council of ICAO, the organisation’s governing body, for the next three-year term.

“The purpose of the Assembly is to set the course for ICAO for the next three years and define broader policies for aviation. Based on the decisions taken by the Assembly, ICAO’s highest governing body, the Council, will steer the development of international aviation in the coming years,” says Pekka Henttu, Director-General of Civil Aviation at Traficom.

At the Assembly, Finland is leading Nordic cooperation and chairing EU-level coordination as the current holder of the presidency of the Council of the EU. The Finnish delegation includes representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The delegation is led by Minister of Transport and Communications Sanna Marin on 24–25 September and after that by Mikael Nyberg, High-Level Representative for Transport and Communications Policy at the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Finland a candidate for the ICAO Council

For Finland, one of the high points of the Assembly will be Saturday 28 September when new members will be elected to the Council of ICAO for the next three-year term. Finland’s candidate is Chief Adviser Samuli Vuokila from Traficom, a captain and aviation specialist who has been for long actively involved in the work of ICAO. In the spirit of Nordic cooperation, other NORDICAO countries (i.e. Nordic countries, Estonia and Latvia) will all support the joint candidate, who this time comes from Finland.

“With active collaboration and strong commitment to the development of global solutions for aviation, we have been able to hold a ‘rotating Nordic seat’ at the Council since the early 1950s. This has become more and more difficult each time around because the competition for Council membership has become more intense. We will have to wait in suspense for the election on Saturday,” Henttu says.

For more information on the principles, current themes and joint candidate of the NORDICAO countries, please see the Nordicao Magazine (External link).

The triennial ICAO Assembly includes representatives from at least 170 countries and numerous international organisations. The Assembly session will last until 4 October 2019.

You can follow the Assembly on social media with the hashtag #ICAOA40 (External link).

Patricia Reverdy (Deputy Executive Secretary/ Acting Executive Secretary, ECAC Ingrid Cherfils, ECAC President Pekka Henttu ilmailujohtaja Liikenne- ja viestintävirasto Traficom Mikael Nyberg, hallitusneuvos LVM, Henrik Hololei, DG MOVE Director-General for Mobility and Transport, Filip Cornelis Director for Aviation (DG MOVE Directorate E) — Patricia Reverdy (Deputy Executive Secretary/ Acting Executive Secretary, ECAC), Ingrid Cherfils (ECAC President), Pekka Henttu (Director-General of Civil Aviation, he Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom), Mikael Nyberg (High-Level Representative for Transport and Communications Policy at the Ministry of Transport and Communications), Henrik Hololei (DG MOVE Director-General for Mobility and Transport), Filip Cornelis (Director for Aviation DG MOVE Directorate E)

40th ICAO Assembly (External link)

Press release by the Ministry of Transport and Communications: Minister Marin to attend ICAO meeting in Montreal (External link)

Pekka Henttu, Director-General of Civil Aviation, tel. +358 29 5346 031, pekka.henttu(at)traficom.fi, Twitter @PekkaHenttu (External link)