Cooperation with Other International Bodies
During 2019, SPCP facilitated cooperation through the signing of MOUs with the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), and the World Bank on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). SPCP continued to represent ICAO on the SuM4All Consortium and insured accurate visibility of aviation in the SuM4All spearheading sustainable mobility reports and tools. With UNDESA, SPCP started the preparations for ICAO’s participation in the 2nd Global Sustainable Transportation Conference (China 2020) as well as strategic inclusion of ICAO’s work in the Conference interagency report. In addition, ICAO closely engaged with the Innovation Unit of UNICEF in 2019 and, jointly with the ANB remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) section, developed a proposal for USD 1.35 million. The joint activities have as aim to create a financial and technical model to replicate and scale drone interventions, particularly in order to allow the safe integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the selected countries’ airspace.
ICAO established partnerships with the UPU, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Interdisciplinary Center for Mathematical and Computational Modelling (ICM) of the University of Warsaw.
ICAO and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) continued a joint project using COMTRADE and E-com data to identify and quantify logistical constraints on e-commerce activity.
ICAO is utilizing Big Data to provide the World Health Organization (WHO) with risk-assessment of potential spread of communicable diseases through the air transport network so that facilities are in place to mitigate this risk and ensure the sustainable growth of air transport is not impacted.
ICAO is co-chairing the Working Group on e-commerce set up by the World Customs Organization (WCO) to discuss in an open and constructive manner opportunities and challenges stemming from the growing trade in e-commerce. ICAO joined the "eTrade for All" UNCTAD initiative to improve the ability of developing countries, and particularly Least Developed Countries (LDCs), to use and benefit from e-commerce. Also, ICAO is in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) on collection of labour statistics by gender in aviation.
ICAO worked closely with several international bodies, including International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Federation for Airline Pilots (IFALPA), International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine (IAASM), Airline Medical Directors Association (AMDA), Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), to review medical Standards and Recommendations (SARPs) and to develop updated medical guidelines. Medical topics under discussion in 2019 focused on mental health problems, alcohol and substance use and abuse, evidence-based considerations for pilot age restrictions and the development of an aviation medicine taxonomy.
Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA)
ICAO consulted actively with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other industry stakeholders to enhance cooperative working agreements; update guidelines relating to airport and aircraft vector control, disinfection and disinsection; develop risk assessment models, improve the use of technology in the surveillance and management of global disease outbreaks; and review the functioning of the WHO Emergency Committee. States were kept informed through regional CAPSCA meetings (Helsinki, Finland in April 2019 and Bangladesh in November 2019).
A pan-European pandemic simulation exercise involving various stakeholders (States, airports, airlines and public health authorities) was held in Brussels in February 2019. ICAO further assisted WHO in building capacity by providing facilitators for a Public Health Event Management in Air Transport workshop in South Africa in February 2019. In addition, a CAPSCA online course was developed and implemented in 2019 by ICAO Global Aviation Training (GAT) in collaboration with the Joint Aviation Authorities Training Organisation (JAATO) as well as CAPSCA and WHO subject matter experts.
ICAO continued its cooperation with other International Bodies through attendance at meetings and workshops. These bodies include Airports Council International (ACI), Centres for Disease Control (CDC), World Bank, and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
