Yearbook of the United Nations, 2000. Part 6, Intergovernmental organizations related to the United Nations. Chapter 9, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Abstract

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) continued in 2000 to promote the safety and efficiency of civil air transport by prescribing standards and recommending practices and procedures for facilitating civil aviation operations. Its objectives were set forth in annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, adopted in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in 1944, known as the Chicago Convention. In 2000, domestic and international scheduled traffic of the world's airlines increased to some 401 billion tonne-kilometres. The airlines carried about 1.65 billion passengers and some 30.2 million tonnes of freight. The passenger load factor on scheduled services in 2000 increased slightly to 71 per cent. Airfreight increased by 8.2 per cent to 117.6 billion tonne-kilometres, and airmail traffic increased by 5.4 per cent to 6 billion tonne-kilometres. Overall passenger/freight/ mail tonne-kilometres increased by some 8 per cent and international tonne-kilometres by some 9 per cent. The Council of ICAO held three regular sessions in 2000. In March, it appointed Renato Cláudio Costa Pereira (Brazil) as Secretary-General of ICAO for a second three-year term, effective 1 August 2000. The Council decided to convene, in 2001, a diplomatic conference to consider a draft Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and an Aircraft Protocol thereto, which had been recommended by the ICAO Legal Committee. In June, the Council adopted revised text for ICAO's Strategic Action Plan. The Council in December adopted ICAO's Policies on Charges for Airports and Air Navigation Services. Additionally, an ICAO task force began an implementation programme on an agreement reached in September by the Civil Aviation Administrations of China and Viet Nam. The agreement concerned the trial application of a revised route structure and airspace organization in the South China Sea area for a period of three years. Also in September, the Agreement of Cooperation between ICAO and the International Mobile Satellite Organization was signed in Montreal, Canada. In 2000, ICAO membership remained at 185 countries.