Anticipated Effect Will Be Greater Economic Growth

The Secretary General of ICAO, Dr. Fang Liu, was joined by the Consul General of China in Montreal, Mr. Xueming Chen, for the official launch of the UN aviation agency’s new Civil Aviation Authority Senior and Middle Managers Training Course at a special ceremony held recently at ICAO headquarters.

Funded by the Government of China, under its South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, the new course directly supports the key priorities of ICAO’s “No Country Left Behind” capacity-building initiative, in addition to the wider implementation of competency-based training.

Participants from six States in ICAO’s North American, Central American and Caribbean Region, as well as from China, attended the preliminary session, benefitting from an array of technical and management skills to support their States’ improved compliance with ICAO’s global Standards.

“Providing this type of quality training, which has such clear tie-ins to States’ ultimate realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is directly in line with ICAO’s core commitment to support our Member States in their design and oversight of safe, secure, efficient, economically sustainable, and environmentally responsible air transport systems,” highlighted Secretary General Liu. “I am very encouraged that this ICAO-China partnership is delivering concrete benefits to the air transport sector, and in clear recognition of the tremendous socio-economic benefits which States can realize once they establish ICAO-compliant international connectivity.”

Consul General Chen reinforced this sentiment, noting “the training course today is obviously an early harvest” of the cooperation between ICAO and the Chinese government. “The Chinese government is now actively propelling ‘the Belt and Road Initiative’ from concept to reality,” declared Consul General Chen. “I believe the overall objectives of ‘the Belt and Road Initiative’ have a lot in common with the ‘No Country Left Behind’ Initiative of ICAO. China and ICAO can work together on aviation capacity building, to enhance civil aviation safety and security oversight capabilities and to meet the increasing needs for aviation managers and professionals.”

The initial phase of the training package will be delivered globally across 20 locations and in English, French and Spanish, with the provision of scholarships to all 500 anticipated trainees.

Organized by ICAO’s Global Aviation Training Office, the course will also enhance participants’ understanding of effective safety and security oversight systems and the relevance of rules and procedures for the implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs.)

(Image provided with ICAO news release)

FMI: www.icao.int